Search - Rorschach :: Autopsy

One of the five albums to bring to a deserted island.

Dylan Bailey | Costa Mesa, CA United States | 09/30/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If it sounds good reverberating in my ears, why shouldn't it be the same for everyone else? Fortunately for most of you this will never be true, but for the few black sheep that have been at least curious enough to come to this page, I want to do my best to explain the way this album sounds. Based on the vocals and drumming alone, I would place Rorschach in a neatly notched groove just between hard-core (The Locust, The Fidelies, The Dillinger Escape Plan) and metal (Eniwetok, Cannibal Corpse?). I personally believe that their most qualifying attribute is the number of changes that they can put into their music, and how well those changes mesh with the song and each corresponding part as a whole. Their music can range from a slow grinding metal-death-march to a fast paced hard core two beat, and then blend together brilliantly with melodic hooks and adrenalin driving rock riffs. I say that this is one of the five albums that I would bring with me should I ever be discarded on a deserted island because every single track on this CD is awesome. And what makes that statement bronze is that this CD is a complete discography containing every single song played by the band. My only hope here, is to turn more people on to this band, because after reading the liner notes I find it hard to believe that I'm virtually alone in loving their music."

They didn't invent metal-core...

Ferguson | Evolving | 09/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"..but they sure as hell refined it and are one of the greatest bands to ever do this style long before yer Converge's were even thought of.



So, Rorschach came out of Jersey and were one of the 4 key bands in the ABC No Rio/Vermiform/Wardance scene alongside Go!, Citizen's Arrest plus Born Against and existed as a band between 1989 and 1993 before their members went on to form Deadguy, Beautiful Skin, Kiss It Goodbye, Computer Cougar and a few others. Their make-up was the blazing straight up hardcore sound of Infest, with the more intricate metallic sound of the 2nd and 3rd Bl'ast! albums (a huge influence i'd say) and a touch of Slayer. Their vocalist Charles Maggio - who later started the Gern Blandsten record label which released records by Native Nod, Merel, Chisel, Rye Coalition, Ted Leo and so on - is considered one of the best "brutal hardcore with metallic influences" (his words) vocalists since he has such a tortured raspy voice that could strip paint live, which might well be attributed to the fact that the poor guy suffered from throat cancer.



This rather fine cd is their complete discography and includes the "remain sedate" debut album, the "needlepack" 7", the "protestant" album, their two songs from the split 7" with Neanderthal, various compilation tracks like their marvelous cover of "21st century schizoid man" by King Crimson and finishes were their cover of "my war" from their split 7" with 1.6 Band. Although "protestant" seems to be the one generally favored i far prefer "remain sedate" and all the pre-"prostestant" material as it's a little less complex but a lot more powerful."

Ol'School Hardcore

Stephen L Walton | Washington, DC United States | 06/29/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I remember buying the Rorchach 7inch at the old hardcore music shop next to Cutler's in New Haven. This a discography's first half is the first album and the other half is thier second album "Protestant"(definitely the best of the 2). The tracks to listen to are "Mandible", "Skin Culture" and there cover of Black Flag's "My War". These guys are the godfathers of todays modern metalcore sound. Ever wonder where bands like Coalesce, Converge, and Dillinger Escape Plan coped(no not copied) thier hardcore dope from? Check out Rorchach and you'll see..."