CoC : Root - Hell Symphony : Review

Root - _Hell Symphony_
(I Hate Records, 2008)
by: Quentin Kalis (8.5 out of 10)

Alongside Master's Hammer, Root are the Czech cult elite, but sadly little known west of the former Iron Curtain. This is the re-release of their second album, and their first with English lyrics, which are sparse and broken but as Satanic as the day they started: big boss Big Boss is the founder of the Church of Satan in the former Czechoslovakia. The music is old-school thrash with dashes of death and a touch of proto-black; like Vulcano, this is the kind of "true cult" that would make Fenriz (Darkthrone) salivate heavily. Obligatory bonus tracks are included but won't be a deal clincher, consisting of a few live tracks. In later years they would improve on virtually all aspects -- English lyrics, musicianship, arrangements, production -- but this proved to be a Faustian pact as they would never again release an album as grim and unsettling as this undisputed classic.

Contact: http://www.ihate.se

(article published 29/5/2009)

ALBUMS
1/13/2010	Q Kalis	8.5	Root - Zjeveni
1/4/2010	Q Kalis	8	Root - The Temple in the Underworld
5/29/2009	Q Kalis	6	Root - The Book