The Batlord

Rorschach were an early band from New Jersey whose members would go on to form other seminal metalcore bands, such as Deadguy and Kiss It Goodbye. Early on, on debut Remain Sedate, they seem to have been a noisy hardcore band, hence the early label of powerviolence, with some slower, metal-influenced sections. This is raw stuff, a million miles away from the likes of Trivium, and I would be surprised if Matt Heafy had never even heard of this band. As someone who's dubious about hardcore, this album isn't my fav thing in the world, but it has its charms and is growing on me. I've heard '90s metalcore associated with post-hardcore and noise rock, and I can see why, with their use of dissonance. There's definitely something different going on here that would be more fully realized later on.





Aside from some comps, singles, and splits, Rorschach would only go on to release an EP, Needlepack, and second full-length, Protestant. Protestant was slower (in general) and sludgier, with vocals more screamed than shouted, and felt more like what metalcore would become in the nineties. Still, there's a frantic feel to the music, always changing pace, sometimes attacking with full-on hardcore fury, and then bringing it to a crushing, sinister near stop. Seriously hateful stuff that I shall be bumping in the future. Any fan of ugly, lo-fi, angry music should take note.





After that, the band would call it quits, and we would be treated to an even more evolved and polished version of the band's sound when some members went on to form Deadguy.

Also of note is a delightfully unfaithful cover of "21st Century Schizoid Man" that sounds more Sabbath than King Crimson.

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