AT THE DAWN OF THE 90´S, SHIBUYA DISTRICT, TOKYO, JAPAN. THE COINS DROPPING AND CLINGING INTO THE ARCADE GAME MACHINES, THE LIGHTS OF THE PACHINKOS AND THE LIVELY TOKYO DISTRICT HAVE FUELED THE MUSICAL INSPIRATION AND VISUAL UNIVERSE OF A DIRTY BUNCH OF FURYOS.
THE 5 BAND MEMBERS HAVE WITNESSED THE GOLDEN AGE THAT HAS SEEN THE GLOBAL EXPANSION OF AMERICAN HIP-HOP, OF GROOVE METAL, NEW YORK HARDCORE, AND OF THE CATCHY BUT UNCOMPROMISING VIBES OF NU METAL.
ROTN IS THE MERGER OF THOSE TWO WORLDS : THE MESSAGES OF HOPE, BRAVERY, AND REVENGE SPREAD BY CLASSIC 80’S/90’S MANGA CHARACTERS SUCH AS KENSHIRO, SEIYA OR KAWATO, ARE BROUGHT TO THE LISTENER’S FACE THROUGH DEADLY THRASH RIFFING AND A DESTRUCTIVE FLOW OF WORDS.
AFTER SELF-PRODUCING 2 CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED EPS, ROTN MOVES ON TO PRODUCE ITS DEBUT RECORD AND STARTS ITS OWN LABEL, REPRESSION RECORDS. NUCLEAR BLAST OFFERS THE BAND A GLOBAL LICENSE DEAL AFTER CATCHING ROTN ON THEIR SUMMER FESTIVALS TOUR THAT YEAR.
FROM THEIR FIRST EUROPEAN RUN WITH MADBALL IN 2015 TO A MAINSTAGE SHOW AT DOWNLOAD FESTIVAL IN 2017, THE “WELCAME” CYCLE WILL HAVE BROUGHT THE BAND TO THE BIGGEST EUROPEAN STAGES AND TO THE FAR EAST WITH 2 TOURS INCORPORATING JAPAN, CHINA, TAIWAN, HONG KONG AND INDONESIA.
2017: BACK WITH EXPERIENCE FROM THE BATTLEFIELD UNDER THEIR BELTS, THE NORTHSTAR RETREATS TO WRITE A NEW ALBUM, STILL SWEATING WITH TEENAGE RAGE, STILL OBSESSED WITH 90S METAL AND HIP-HOP GROOVES.
TO TAKE THEIR CRAFT TO THE NEXT LEVEL, ENTER JOE DUPLANTIER, GOJIRA’S FRONTMAN TO PRODUCE THE RECORD ALONG WITH THE BAND IN BROOKLYN NY. NO BETTER PLACE TO SINK IN THE VIBES FROM THE GOLDEN AGE OF 90S MUSIC BE IT RAP OR ROCK. THE RESULT IS A THICK, JAW CRUSHING COLLECTION OF 11 SONGS WHERE MID-TEMPO HEAVINESS AND LOWER TONES FIND THEIR WAY INTO THE BAND’S OWN BLEND OF AGGRESSIVE RAP, EPIC SOLOS, HARDCORE BREAKDOWNS AND CATCHY ANTHEMIC CHORUSES. ON THIS RECORD, ROTN MAKES SOUL SEARCHING AND FINDING ITSELF A CENTRAL THEME, LYRICALLY DEPICTED WITH FICTIONAL REFERENCES DEEPLY INSPIRED BY JAPANESE CULTURE, WHILE TAKING A FURTHER A STEP TOWARDS THE MEMBERS‘ PERSONAL DRAMA.
“THE LEGACY OF SHI” IS RELEASED IN OCTOBER 2018. SINCE THEN, ROTN HAVE TAKEN OVER STAGES TO BRING TO LIFE THEIR CONTINUOUS FIGHT AGAINST THE MILLENNIAL YOKAI.
AFTER GOING INTO HIATUS DUE TO THE GLOBAL HEALTH SITUATION, ROTN IS BACK WITH ITS BIGGEST ALBUM TO DATE: “SHOWDOWN”. RECORDED BETWEEN 2020 AND 2022, ROTN SUBLIMATES ITS LOVE FOR JAPAN, SHONEN MANGA, FIERCE BREAKDOWNS AND 7-STRING MELODIES. THE NEW METAL OF THE END OF THE 90’S HAS BEEN DIGESTED, MODULATED, ASSIMILATED FOR A MORE BEAUTIFUL, MORE MELODIOUS… MORE MATURE ALBUM.
ROTN’S STRENGTHS HAVE ALWAYS RESIDED IN ITS TENACITY, EVEN THROUGH ADVERSITY, AND ITS DIE HARD ARTISTRY SOMETIMES PUSHED TOWARDS SELF-FLAGELLATION. THE BAND REMAINS DISCIPLINED AND LOYAL TO ITS ROOTS WHILE EXPLORING NEW HORIZONS SERVED BY A HEAVY AND WARM PRODUCTION. SHOGUN NO SHI IS BACK TO REDEEM ITS PLACE, TOKYO BEWARE, THE STAR IS APPROACHING.