Review by Felix on March 24, 2022.

'Wicked, Vicious And Violent' – this is not only the catchy title of the opener, but the motto for Fields Of Rot as a whole. Nocturnal Breed always love to tell us ugly stories which are wrapped in mean and nasty songs that hurt the mass media influenced mainstream listener as much as possible. The release from the year 2007 marks no exception and apart from the senseless artwork, I cannot identify any serious flaws. High velocity is bliss, energy a matter of course and some boozy sounds every now and then deliver a minimum of variety. In particular 'Iron Bitch' holds some lines that bring Motörhead to my mind, especially their Girlschool cover 'Emergency'. But these vibes do not give Fields Of Rot its character. The album is faster, rawer, more malicious and a bit sick. The nagging of the lead vocalist matches with the thrashing sharp riffs that grab the listener firmly by the collar. 'Manskinner' is one of the rabid outbursts whose opening riff already indicates a very promising continuation of the track. And no, the song does not disappoint, quite the opposite. Rapid, straight lines shape this intense high quality piece.

The following 'In Sickness And In Hell' creates a different atmosphere. It starts with a menacing, silent intro, and even though it mutates to another filthy lump of black thrash, it does not lose its threatening aura. This basic mood is, among other things, based on the crisp and hard guitar sound. It is the most significant element of the production which finds the right way. As much dirt as possible, as much transparency as necessary, this is always a good approach. As a result, Fields Of Rot appear direct, pretty brutal and militant. Even in the album’s mid-paced moments or its almost melodic solos, the sound guarantees a high degree of hostility. 'The Dead' proves evidence in this context. But the Norwegians reveal their true musical excellence whenever it comes to nearly insane eruptions that send discreet greetings to old Nuclear Assault. The closer 'Scything Harrow' is only one of the many supersonic rockets that find their aim. People who liked “Buttf**k” of the aforementioned legend, will also bang their heads to this ultimate statement of pure aggression at the beginning and the end and a less murderous central part.

From my point of view, the last track closes the cycle, because the double bass driven opener also knows no mercy. Moreover, it is the absolute highlight on an album which is filled to the brim with good stuff (and surprisingly much better than their first three full-lengths). The catchy chorus with the long-drawn “wickeeeed” scream crowns the masterpiece of malignancy which is equipped with totally pathological lyrics about sadists, cannibals and “Flesh-meister’s funeral feast”. Wow! The following title track even accelerates the tempo during the verses. I must say I am impressed, not only because of the high-pitched screams of the vocalist and his skill to press one thousand words into every line of the verses. The precision and the tightness of the album’s name giver is also remarkable. Finally, the compact arrangements of the single tracks have a positive effect. They let the whole work appear as a bloodthirsty bastard who loves very intensive and breakneck adventures. In short, I beg your pardon. I have no better description for the music than the band itself. Everything is wicked, vicious and violent here.

Rating: 9.2 out of 10