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Root - The Book
Music
Written by Gautham Khandige   
Saturday, 10 January 2009 16:02
1999 saw Root release The Book. This was the band’s fifth album and first truly spectacular release. Root had steadily progressed since the time of Hell Symphony with a couple of albums that saw the band steadily carving out a unique space for themselves in the extreme metal world but this is where it all came together.

The Book sees the band move well and truly away from any black metal comparisons and the result is an album that falls somewhere between traditional heavy metal, doom and folk. The biggest change is in the vocals of Big Boss who by now had given up on almost all the black metal shrieking and instead was focusing big time on his awe inspiring baritone, whispered spoken word and clean singing. The songs too had changed with no discernable black or thrash influences. Instead, what we got was epic sounding mid paced compositions that might have something in common with Bathory’s Hammerheart and Twilight of the Gods in terms of feel but with a far superior vocalist and more concise and well written songs.

It’s quite impossible for me to pick out individual songs for praise because I’d end up doing a song by song review and lavishing praise on all of it. Still, this review would be incomplete if I didn’t mention the genius of Mystical Words of the Wise (somewhere between folk, doom and Bathory), The Curse – Durron (a mid-paced metal song with Boss’s powerful baritone taking centre stage), Corabeu I and II (which has the kind of folk meets metal atmosphere that most Viking bands would kill for) and the truly spectacular Lykorean which is basically the grooviest song they’ve ever written that’s powered by a Cello and Boss’s superb vocal performance.

Now, after all the praise, I have to say that maybe Root is not for everybody. For one thing, Big Boss’s vocals might take a bit of getting used to and might even put you off initially. The songwriting seems simple at first but contains enough subtle nuances to make The Book a very rewarding listening experience worthy of multiple listens.

Root hit a new level of creativity and song writing on this album. I’m repeating myself here but there really is no band around like Root. Every comparison I’ve made here will be rendered superfluous when you get round to hearing the music on offer in this album. Having said all of this, the band would go on to erase the benchmark set on this album with 2007s Daemon Viam Invenient but I Hate is not re-issuing that album just yet and for now The Book is completely essential.

The re-issue comes with expanded layout and four bonus tracks which are basically demos from The Book recordings. 

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Year of Release - 1999/ 2008
Label - I Hate

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Our valuable member Gautham Khandige has been with us since Monday, 11 June 2007.

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Discuss (2 posts)

General Knowledge
Re:Root - The Book
Jan 11 2009 17:04:14
You'll probably like Daemon Viam Invenient a bit more. Their album from 2007 that's basically the same template as The Book but probably a bit more progressive, little darker and has some terrific solos.
 #8598

Srikanth Panaman
Re:Root - The Book
Jan 12 2009 09:50:07
Knowing Chacko, I think he should start with the two Equirhodont albums. Baritone operatic singing, great rhythm guitars and extended melodic shred solos and some superb songwriting. And if you like the albums, then move on to the latter Root albums.

Oh, killer review. The other two reissues are due some time now.
 #8611
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