Root - The Temple in the Underworld (1992)

One of the best examples of parallel evolution in the black metal genre I can think of. While the Scandinavians were doing their thing, the Greeks were doing their thing, and Root was doing its thing, an immediately identifiable blend of thrash, heavy metal and occult black aesthetics that has to this day not really been rivaled or emulated. Big Boss and crew have one of the most spotless discographies in the field...perhaps not every album achieving masterpiece status, but there are few that I can't sit through and admire. Coming somewhere near the top of that pile for me is 1992's The Temple in the Underworld, a measured, creepy and ritualistic album which retains its freshness almost three decades after the fact. A band that was always a bit hard to track down in that most productive of eras, but with the Dark Magic of the Internet, none can now escape their gravitational pull...and why would any want to?

Doomy, expressive and inventive, The Temple in the Underworld thrives off its measured paces and big hooks, not to mention the enormous vocals of the incomparable Jiří Valter. Although he possesses some similar characteristics to the other notable black metal frontmen of his age, somewhere between a rasp and a guttural growl, he packs a lot more force behind his intonation, and when he hits the cleaner tones it just has this bombastic, masculine aura which feels like a stone giant howling down from the hillsides. But the guitars on this album are every bit his equal, with unique melodic lines in tracks like "Aposiopesis" and "Casilda's Song" that have a strangely uplifting vibe contrasted against the more freakish, wavy chants and whispers that Valter weaves between his more aggressive barks. Or how about that doomy, weirdo intro riff to "The Wall", swaying along like the morbid candlelight you always imagined this band would use in some ritual jam session. These Czechs sound like they developed their entire schtick in the cellars of some forgotten East European castle ruin, as part of some sonic cult that was hellbent on summoning denizens of the abyss through unique metallic compositions...and they STILL sound that way.

The album is clearer and larger sounding than its predecessors in The Revelation and Hell Symphony, with a richness and brightness to the guitar tone that marries well to the thundering kick drums which throttle along below most of the album's more intense moments. But they also dabble in ambience or their own take on 'dungeon synth' with a cut like "The Solitude" which is beautifully textured and quite unexpected, or the purely choir-based "Voices from..." which starts out timid until Valter just belts out this harrowing harmony that you can just feel humming at you from the dungeons. Acoustics are tastefully used, usually as intros to several of the tunes, but they contrast beautifully against the huge crunch of the guitars in a piece like "Message". This album is simply towering in all areas...maybe the bass doesn't do much of its own adventuring, but it sure sounds good throbbing along beneath the amazing guitars. Even among Root's own catalogue, this one is an anomaly of balanced dread and majesty, and there's not much I'd change about it. Maybe the full acoustic track "My Name..." goes on a little long for what it is...I enjoy some of the Big Boss ballads, but other than the vocals this one doesn't have much going for it. Otherwise, this shit is astonishing, one of the better albums in all of metal in 1992 and hasn't lost an inkling of its potency since.

Verdict: Epic Win [9.25/10] (the shadows lengthen)

http://rootan.net/

Root - Hell Symphony (1991)

Hell Symphony was not only my first Root album, but one of the earlier exposures I had to Czech extremity, around the same time I was discovering Master's Hammer and Krabathor. Of the three, this was by far the most compelling band, though The Jilemnice Occultist gave them a run for their money. But what I was truly fascinated by then, and no less now, is how they've chiseled out their place within the black metal medium with such a distinct sound that derives from influences other than the expected. I do realize a lot of 'first wave' black metal acts, and several in the second don't bear that traditional Scandinavian structure, or even the filthier production of old Venom, Bathory and Hellhammer, but along with the 'Greek style' pioneered by Rotting Christ and Varathron, Root has proven one of the most curious and compelling examples of a sub-genres parallel regional evolution, hinted upon with the debut Zjevení but fully fleshed out for this iconic sophomore.

The sound here is one of a clash between Floridian death metal riffing motifs with bursts of old Teutonic thrash intensity, with individual riffing progressions redolent of 'tidier' Death picking patterns and the angry, antique Kreator material which is oft considered just as important to the legacies of black and death metal as to its more commonly recognized form (thrash). I heard singular licks reminiscent of the clinical Pestilence debut, or even Voivod's cosmic wandering. You can occasionally hear fits of Celtic Frost or Venom adulation among the songs here, but what's so bizarre is how the Czechs took such a polished, cleaner approach to the production of the guitars, which you would more equate with American thrash/speed or even traditional heavy metal around the late 80s. Or you could try to envision a parallel, European Acheron, with a similar physical threat level, but far more personality, and infinitely superior songwriting. This was several years before the proper release of the sweltering, suffocating atmosphere of an album like In the Nightside Eclipse, and happening right alongside the raw ferocity and chilling vibes of Darkthrone during their transition away from death metal, yet Hell Symphony and its predecessor were untouched by those ideas. Slick rhythm guitars, leads that never shied away from a melodic hard rock flair, and drumming so tight that it almost seemed sterile compared to the rabid blasting and double bass which characterizes so much of the successful extreme metal of its era.

There is also a portion of this disc devoted to experimentation, conceptual and aural. Each of the cuts is devoted to a particular diabolic entity from religious or mythical history...and yet the lyrics are more heartfelt and interesting than the sheer antiChristian emissions of a band like Deicide. The tune "Satan" is essentially a percussion piece accompanied by Jirí Walter's maniacal raving narrative and a few little guitar sounds, while "The Prayer" is a lush, memorable acoustic piece with weird, faint high wailing voices occasionally popping in; foreshadowing a lot of the more atmospheric ballads they'd incorporate on future records. The choice to have an opener ("Belzebub") which is almost entirely instrumental also seemed bizarre, since it's comprised of a gamut of speed and thrash metal licks which would absolutely have benefited from lyrics. Yet, Hell Symphony is entirely engaging from front to back, without a dud among the bunch. I could point out again that I found the drums to be a little bit weak and even mechanical, and the bass is also not a huge factor here, but Root compensate with an enormous plethora of riffing and ideas which are always drawing the ear off in this or that direction, and they're anchored by one of the most inventive and unique front men the genre has ever shat forth from the fiery gates...

Yes, 'Big Boss' is a character, but one you're unlikely to forget once hearing his blend of decrepit hag raunchy harshness, manly baritone, and even more mesmerizing, the harmonization of the two! As if Lucifer's odd and estranged uncle showed up at the family reunion one year and did some drunken renditions of hellish hymnals, the guy did not and STILL doesn't sound like any dime-a-dozen rasper you are like to encounter in this end of the metal canon. And that fact, along with the eloquence and attention to detail within the guitar riffing, are why this group shall forever stand among the greats for me. There are a few production guffaws with the rhythm section I've outlined, and even by 1991 standards some licks you'd already heard, paraphrased from a Death or Slayer, Possessed or Venom, but the complete package here is just too good to pass up, and as many good records as they've put out since this time, I'd still consider this one of their greatest moments, eclipsed only by offerings like The Temple in the Underworld where they took these components and ramped up on both the emotional impact, the note selection, the contrast between snarling menace and unusual accessibility. Anyone searching the back stacks of the black or death metal archives owes him or herself a favor in checking this out, especially one of the versions with the live bonus tracks, which sound even more magnificent in some cases than their studio counterparts. Root. Ever poignant, rarely faltering.

Verdict: Epic Win [9/10] (filling barrels with brimstone)

http://rootan.net/

Root - Heritage of Satan (2011)

Four years have passed since Czech masters Root unleashed their last sermon Daemon Viam Invenient, which saw a broadening of their sound into a more melodic clime, and met with very mixed reactions from a niche audience weaned on occult black metal classics Hell Symphony, Kärgeräs, & The Temple in the Underworld. These gentlemen are no strangers to adventure or experimentation, of course, with the charismatic front man Jirí 'Big Boss' himself involved in a solo project that spans from Root's black fundamentals to Gothic folk/pop, but I had the distinct impression that a 'return to the basics' might be in action, and in part, this sums up Heritage of Satan in a nutshell. The Czechs haven't abandoned their broader vision, per se, but a lot of the material here seems quite ritualistic and straightforward, more 'evil' if you will than the last album.

That said, they still really know how to draw a listener into the album. Opener "Introprincipio" features Jirí's deep, spoken word whispers over the sounds of winds and a solitary piano. The ensuing "In Nomime Sathanas" lurches forward with the band's traditional hybrid of black and doom metal riffing, while a pair of layered vocals escalate into the namesake chorus. There are still some traditional metal moments here, especially in the bridge riffing and lead here, and the underlying speed/thrash metal motif of the "Legacy of Ancestors", which follows. Unfortunately, there are a number of tracks on the album with pretty dud guitars. It has always been the case that Big Boss tends to overshadow the instruments of the band, since he's one of the more unique and distinct individuals in the business, but seriously...the heavier riffs in "Revenge of Hell" or "Son of Satan" are downright boring, and would be useless without him...

All is not lost though, and Root pull this record out of the potential gutter with a handful of faster, blasted tunes that rank among the most accelerated they've ever created, like the thrashing "Darksome Prophet" or the more even more intense "Greetings from the Abyss". Here, even though the writing on the guitars isn't that great, everything seems to gel more strongly, and Jirí has nearly met his match. Hell, the thrash bridge of "Greetings..." is pretty damn phenomenal and the strongest riff on the album, with the closer "The Apocalypse" placing a silver second; "Fiery Message" winning the award for being the most atmospheric and engrossing.

Despite the few strong tunes and the overall, clear and punchy production of Heritage of Satan, it's a little difficult to consider the album that much of a victory. Root are thankfully reluctant to relinquish those traits that make them one of the more innovative and unusual acts in their genre...hell, there are really no other black metal outfits that sound quite the same; and yet, the album doesn't feel so fresh or powerful as their whole 1990-96 period when they seemed so damned unstoppable. It's got variation aplomb, and makes good use of its living weapon, but even at its best it seems to trail behind at least 6-7 of their previous outings.

Verdict: Win [7/10]

http://rootan.net/