TRACK LISTING

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1.  Introprincipio
2.  In Nomine Sathanas
3.  Legacy of Ancestors
4.  Revenge of Hell
5.  Darksome Prophet
6.  Fiery Message
7.  Son of Satan
8.  His Coming
9.  Greetings from the Abyss
10.  The Apocalypse

Total playing time:  42:23

Release Date: October 25th, 2011
Label: Agonia Records

Root - Heritage of Satan

Reviewer: Garett

November 25, 2011

Heritage of Satan starts out promisingly enough, with an eerie intro that resembles some type of ritualistic chant.  This is the perfect lead in to the rhythmic almost droning riffs that dominate the first proper song, “In Nomine Sathanas.”  Big Boss’ unorthodox clean vocals are also used to good effect here, unmistakably marking this opening sequence as the work of modern era Root.  I was immediately relieved, given my disappointment with their last album, Daemon Viam Invenient. 

Just as those thoughts were running through my head, the album took a strange turn with “Legacy of Ancestors.” There is an odd sort of punk vibe to this song, and it has a really happy feel.  Of course, anybody who is familiar with the last decade or so of Root’s career knows that these guys are not afraid to venture into less traveled musical territory.  Really, the success or failure of Root’s recent efforts has hinged on how well they pull this off.  If “Legacy of Ancestors” was a misstep, than the next song “Revenge of Hell” is a full on head- over-heels fall.  The slow chugging riffing that this song is built on has a modern, almost nu-metal feel, and I found it difficult to listen to.  I don’t think that this is the vibe that Root were going for, but the end result is all that really matters. 

Luckily, things started looking up again, just as I was becoming disheartened with the whole thing. The next track, “Darksome Prophet” took the album in an entirely different direction .  Here we have a solid song that uses a lot of traditional black metal elements.  It is one of Heritage of Satan’s fastest cuts, and really pulled me back into the album.  The remainder of the album is more good than bad, and mostly what you would expect Root at this point in their career.  I particularly enjoyed “His Coming,” a dark brooding song that I suspect is a much more successful execution of what the band attempted with “Revenge of Hell.”  “Greetings From the Abyss” is another blackend ripper that adds a bit of heft to the tail end of the album.  As a whole, Heritage of Satan is a really diverse album, and even at it’s lowest points it is still a pretty interesting listen.    

Heritage of Satan gave me a lot of what I wanted, and a few things that I could have done without.  Really though, I just didn’t think that the overall quality of the songs was up to the standard that the band set on albums like Black Seal and Madness of The Graves.  Still, Big Boss and company should be commended for developing such a unique sound.   Root isn’t a band that everybody will like, but unlike many bands they continue to push the envelope and try different things even over 20 years into their career.  Heritage of Satan may not be the best Root album, but it is good enough that I can see myself listening to it again in the future.  I think that most Root fans will find the bulk of the album enjoyable.