Band: RootWater
Title: VisiOnism
Label: Mystic Production
Distribution: Suburban
Release date: April 4th 2010
Review: CD

The Polish band RootWater, with e.g. bass player Heinrich (Blast, Vesania) and vocalist Taff (Neolithic, Testor, Black River) [the latter recently released its second studio recording, Black’n’Roll, through the very same label – for the marvellous review: see update April 18th 2010] in its ranks, strikes back with VisiOnism, which lasts for an hour (!) and which continues the well-known path: eccentric Rock / Metal in combination with lots of variation.
After the intro, which sounds as an instrumental Heavy / Power Metal excerpt, Venture brings a combination of Machine Head, System Of A Down and Faith No More, but with a very Thrash-oriented undertone. Living In The Cage also contains elements from Faith No More and System Of A Down, injected with emotions and punkish details. And this goes for most songs: bizarre, weird, unusual, yet well-thought. Every title has its own identity, with characterising basics and a differing content. What about the short Hardcore / Grindcore explosion Freedom? Or the dark and mystic hymn Realize with its acoustics, or the funky bass lines and sludgy riffs on Follow The Spirit? The bombastic epics on the title track? And what the Underworld is going on with bonus track Haydamaka, which combines traditional (Polish) Folk and Folk Metal with trumpet and varying vocals (a rough voice, epic choirs, harmonious chants)?
Besides lots of variation, between the songs as well as within each track, the addition of bonus elements is superb: the carefully yet ingeniously used keyboards and piano, the bag pipes, samples, orchestrations, electronics, the tempo-changes, the influences from related and unrelated genres (Oriental, Folk, Hardcore / Punk, Industrial, Post-Rock, Funk, Thrash Metal, …) (although sometimes less successful), the enormous vocal variety, or the acoustics.
Recommended to fans of everything between SOAD, Sepultura, Machine Head and Faith No More.

81/100

Ivan Tibos.