Band:	The Rotted
Album:	Only Tools And Corpses
Style:	Brutal death metal
Release date:	2003
Guest review by:	vezzy

01. Zombie Graveyard Rape Bonanza
02. Hacked In The Back Dumped In A Sack
03. Fuck Your Arse With Broken Glass
04. Only Tools And Corpses
05. Her Gash I Did Slash
06. Can't Fit Her Limbs In The Fridge
07. Village People Of The Damned
08. Masticated By The Spasticated
09. To Catch A Killer

Goregrind and brutal death are two genres that are full of mediocre, flat out boring and unskilled bands. Many of them seem to be identical and can't be told apart. All the same formula recycled over and over. The closest these bands will get to achieving recognition in the metal scene will be in Encyclopaedia Metallum or by splatter entertainment freaks at MySpace. However, I cannot say the same for Gorerotted and their 2003 album Only Tools and Corpses.

No, these guys certainly know how to play their instruments, and they have that fine sense of humor! They don't take themselves seriously like those B gore movie grind/death metal bands. First off, we have the great dual vocal combination of Goreskin (the low guttural vocals) and Mr. Gore's shrieked/screamed vocals (however, do note that they make take some time to get used to them). Fluffly Offalstench and Robin Pants are a decent guitar team as well, you can find plenty of bombastic distorted chugging, solos, riffs and even a few good breakdowns here. Junky Jon's work behind the skins is great too. Besides the typical blast beats, you'll hear some other complex drum patterns (yes, that includes the cymbal noise). The Wilson's bass is in here too, sounding a bit sinister at times. He also does backing vocals.

Highlight tracks here are "Zombie Graveyard Rape Bonanza" (featuring that comedy-horror voice at the beginning and at the end, and for just being a good song), the title track "Only Tools and Corpses" (a pun on the popular British sitcom Only Fools and Horses, also well uses the aforementioned dual vocal style and in a few parts explodes into some fine bombastic noise), "Village People of the Damned" (features some good instrumental work), "Can't Fit Her Limbs in the Fridge" (ever wondered what Leatherface and his family would do if they had no more room to store the meat and bones of their victims?), "Masticated By the Spasticated" (great riffs and that gurgle-squealing vocal part) and "To Catch a Killer" (a serial sing-a-long, it tells about six serial killers in a first person narrative aspect, some good instrumental parts and dual vocals go well together here). Rest is not as noteworthy, but still enjoyable.

In 2008, the band changed their name to The Rotted and shifted to a more regular death metal approach. For me, their work as Gorerotted will always be the best, especially Only Tools and Corpses. Don't have it? What are you waiting for? Brutal death fans should have this gorefest with a comedic vibe in their collection.