Root - Zjevení
1990 Zeras

Track Listing:
1.  Intro X Enochian Key
2.  The Revelation
3.  Aralyon
4.  Torture
5.  Burn Death
6.  Song For Satan
7.  666
8.  Seven Black Horsemen
9.  Demon
10. A Sign
11. The Way Of…
12. Cementary

Line-Up:
Vocals:  Jiří "Big Boss" Valter
Guitars:  Petr "Blackosh" Hošek
Bass:  Dan "Mr. D.A.N." Janáček
Drums:  Rostislav "Black Drum" Mozga

Website:  www.rootan.net

Shev's Rating:  A
Overall Album Rating:  A

Shev's Review:
You know what I just don't understand?  How can all of these modern black metal bands see as much success as they do, when bands like Root who have been doing this for what seems like forever dwell in the underground.  It's practically an injustice for a band so complex who have mastered their profession to not have at least one album in the library of every black metal fan.

Regardless, this is Root's debut.  An absolutely pummeling slab of sick and heavy black metal hailing from the Czech Republic, mixing small influences of doom while borrowing a little discordance from the likes of Celtic Frost and Usurper.  While this debut didn't appear until 1990, Root has been together as a band for much longer than that (roughly 1987-ish).  It took them long enough to piece a full-length together, and after cranking out five demo's worth of material, it was apparently worth the wait.

While Root's later material has branched out musically, turning some people off to the band's progression, every fan of the earlier days of black metal should know exactly what they're getting out of Zjevení:  Howling black metal shrieks complimenting masterfully cold riffing (but somewhat forgettable drumming).  It's raw.  It's gritty.  It's so Satanically undercooked that they should only print this on vinyl.  It's also one of the best black metal debut album's I've ever had the pleasure of hearing.
Shev's Rating:  A

Discography (last updated 1.19.05):
Reap Of Hell demo - 1988
War Of Rats demo - 1988
Messages From Darkness demo - 1989
The Trial demo - 1989
Zjevení - 1990
Hell Symphony - 1992
The Temple In The Underground - 1992
Kärgeräs - 1996
The Book - 1999
Black Seal - 2001
Dema - 2003
Madness Of The Graves - 2003
Root/Atomizer split 7" - 2003