RORONOAH: SHORES OF DESOLATION
- Feb 20
- 6 min read
Roronoah are at it again, with their latest EP drop 'Shores of Desolation' featuring Daniel Macdonald of Body Prison on Crimson Smile and Harley Steele of Total Buzzkill on Mind//Body. I have previously written a deep dive on Judgement which you can read here and Crimson Smile which you can find here, so I will be doing a quick once over of the tracks, but
doing a deep dive on Primeval and Mind//Body. Roronoah also features in '15 Queensland Bands You Need To Be Listening To...' which you can see here, band interview here and Kalani features in our first 'Behind The Stage: Behind The Mic: Volume I' here. I was fortunate enough to have an early listen to the EP, so I had a good while to sit with the songs and take them in fully. War. En masse, All is ash, Fight back, Call to act, Could you live it? Just another sign of times, Can you feel it? Another symptom of demise. Can you see it? Crimson spilled and Teary eyes. First off for the EP is Primeval and you are going
to need to strap in for this one because you are in for a wild ride. Primeval hits the ground running from the off with a bombardment of drums before it moves rapidly into scaling and melodic guitars and vocals that switch from highs to lows with lightening speed and force. The addition of feminine vocals like a chorus in the layers adds a new depth to the song, pulling you back and forth through the cinematic sections of the track. At the highest points of Primeval it feels almost overwhelming with everything that is happening in tandem and you are met with a sense of relief, as if you can finally catch your breath again as it eases. I feel like this is going to be the circle pit anthem with the rapidly spinning energy that you find yourself in, and I honestly can't wait to see crowds react to this one. Undying light of mine, When did you lose your shine, A cold dying feeling I've tried to define, Has revealed unto me our emphatic demise, Polluting the way to a warmer embrace, Is a knife in our back but a smile on your face.
On Crimson Smile: To me, this song paints a really dark and aggressive picture, while writing this I was heavily inspired by the legend of Davy Jones. The Guitar layers and use of the organ really portray the menacing nature we were hoping to achieve, and Dan’s guest vocals make it all the more devastating. - Ryan, Guitar
I'm Leaving scars on your body so memories never leave you're not forgetting me. Constantly running that mouth, a permanent smile, i'll be leaving it cheek to cheek. Crimson Smile featuring Daniel McDonald is the second track, released on the 9th of January, and hits like the horror
theme song to Davy Jones, with the addition of organ music on top of the bloodbath of guitars, drums and vocals. The track is as tumultuous and unpredictable as the sea as you are dragged through the story by the corner of your mouth. Kalani and Daniel work side-by-side like Vegemite and cheese, complimenting each other's style as they battle it out on the track. There is a lot happening in this song which had me listening to the track on repeat to find everything that was happening. The story is disgustingly beautiful in its poeticism and more than once made me crinkle my nose at the lyrics.
Experience ecstasy, When Blood is pouring from your teeth, The Piercing
screams they sound so sweet, Lost in the sea of regret, You've lost your God damn head.
Vocalist Kalani Explains: “Judgement was written as the end of a saga that fans of Roronoah might be aware of. We've been writing a story since we released Let The Cleaver Swing and Deathrow Manifesto. Judgement is the final episode in the story of a serial killer after the events of Deathrow Manifesto. He has ended up in a place similar to Hell and is basically praying for a final Judgement to be sent to heaven. I figured that with where we are heading with our sound in the band, this would be a great idea for a send off for 'Early Roronoah' while we continue our ascent in the heavy scene - and to have Judgement be the transition only felt right. The end of one story is the signal for the start of Roronoah”
Fucking left rotting inside this prison, Father of the damned has risen, Walls of severed flesh and blood, Now discovered deep in mud Given gifts of our decision, Information now unhidden, The lies begin to decay, You make the bed where you lay. Judgement, released on November 14th, is a
whirlwind adventure, pulling you into the depths of hell itself as the serial killer character falls into the pit of despair of his own making. Throughout the track you are taken on the journey musically with the instrumentals slowing down and speeding up as the loss of control and realisation of his situation is fully realised, at points feeling like a crushing whirlpool of inner turmoil. Through the use of crushing drums, face melting guitars and diabolically heavy vocals, you will feel the despair, anguish and volatile energy of the story. Life lost once is fucking found, Mutilated in the ground, Buried here without a casket, Defiled with a fucking hatchet, I've got one thing on my mind tonight, That's seeing your skull crushed and left behind, I wanna see your brain
aerate on the pavement, The smell of iron is what I am craving, You will fear me forever and after for I have sinned, You will fear me forever and after for I have sinned.
Mind//Body featuring Harley Steele is the last, but definitely not least track for the Ep. I have tried, To see the brighter side in life, But now I think there's something that I just can't fuckin hide, The face I see look back that I despise, There's no more pride, Lobotomised, Fuck, Living Hell, Spent my life in this damn cell, Wake up. While listening to this track for the first time, I took in that while it is the least chaotic of the four, it feels
profoundly heavier through the subject matter, as if you are peering into someone's soul, witnessing the pieces of themselves that they keep hidden away from the world. There is an underlying sadness that will linger heavily on your chest as the story progresses. The orchestral addition to the track shifts the energy higher into the ethereal as Kalani and Harley spin the narrative. It is no secret that I am a fan of both Roronoah and TBK (having previously bullied the band into making beanies for merch; you're welcome), so when I heard that Harley would be featuring on this track, you know I was beyond
excited. I was pleasantly surprised to hear Harley lean so heavy into the more manic sections of his vocal repertoire and it fits perfectly with Roronoah's style and energy. I seek a voice I know that I have never heard, I never learn and still I yearn, Give me the knife, You cut out my tongue and don't give me the reason. The mirror shows me who I am but I can't stand to see him. If I die will it cure my demons, father will you forgive me for the sins that I've committed, save me from myself. As a final word I am just going to say that it is incredible to see how rapidly Roronoah is not only growing in skill, story telling ability, stage presence and comfort but also popularity. The band continues to amaze me with every new release. Make sure to check out the music video below.
Roronoah will be on tour this April/May in celebration of Shores of Desolation's release. You can buy tickets at the link here. I will be attending the Brisbane show on May 1st at The Tomcat, so keep an eye out for the review.
For Fans Of: Lorna Shore, Shadow of Intent, Whitechapel and Fit For An Autopsy
My Favourite Song: Crimson Smile
10/10
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