Carnifex - Roses and Rotting Corpses

SINGLE REVIEW

Roses and Rotting Corpses
Carnifex (deathcore)
2026 May 8
3:26
Sumerian Records

I must admit that I’m not a regular Carnifex enjoyer. Just an “I never got into them” thing. But I certainly know the name, and I’ve seen tons of buzz lately about this single. Obviously I had to check it out, and holy smokes I’m glad I did. Carnifex is out for blood with this one. 

After working with Nuclear Blast for the last decade, Carnifex has just recently signed with Sumerian Records. I have no affinity to any particular labels, but I find that working with different labels and studios can diversify a band’s sound - sometimes for the worse, sometimes for the better. I’m hoping it's the latter for Carnifex.

Roses and Rotting Corpses hits full speed immediately. It’s the musical equivalent to waking up during a car crash. All this chaos comes through solid, thick production that helps the mix feel full but not cramped. I do think it’s a bit muddy and maybe lacks some high-end clarity, but it didn’t feel like it was doing a disservice to the song. 

Since I’m not a Carnifex regular, I don’t know how this compares to their previous releases. But I found Roses and Rotting Corpses to be a very melodic kind of deathcore with even some djent (or thall for the kids) elements mixed in. This isn’t the Lorna Shore kind of melodic deathcore - no synths or choirs. No, the melody comes from the guitars like it used to in the olden days. To each their own, but I think deathcore operates at its highest capacity this way. Keeping the composition to the standard instruments made me feel more involved in the song, like I wasn’t being pulled out by anything trying to be too different. The intermittent ringing open notes are reprieve enough from the anarchy, and the melodies swim behind the craziness in a way that highlights the aggression instead of taking away from it. 

And speaking of melody, the guitar solo at 2:07 is a haunting ribbon that ties the track together with a morbid bow. Maybe I’ve just been ruined by a generation of shitty death metal solos, but I feel like good solos are making a comeback and I’m here for it. The composition of the solo compliments the melodies on the rest of the track, so it doesn’t feel tacked on. Everything works. And shoutout to the vocals, since I haven’t mentioned them elsewhere. Scott Lewis covers everything from gutturals to fries with confidence, and the dynamics of his performance keep the song from feeling monotonous. 

I’m taking this track as a sign of what’s to come on an upcoming album released through Sumerian, so I’ll be keeping my eyes on this one.

8/10