After five long years of anticipation, New York’s own The Rote has dropped Mary Underwater, an album that perfectly encapsulates the raw, gritty sound they’ve been cultivating. A mix of punk, hard rock, and metal, this album feels like a wild ride through the darker corners of the human psyche. With 11 tracks that strike a balance between heavy riffs and brooding atmospherics, Mary Underwater is unapologetically intense while offering moments of introspective depth.
The opening track, “Dress My Loss,” sets the tone immediately with its haunting lyrics: “I hear my mirrors with my blind ears and my deaf eye / I see with less sometimes.” It’s the kind of line that makes you feel disoriented, but also deeply connected to the pain and confusion in the song. This track is a mix of frustration and self-awareness, echoing the band’s themes of struggling with identity and personal loss. The instrumentation mirrors this inner turmoil — distorted guitars and tight drumming, all wrapped in an almost claustrophobic vibe.
“Wouldn’t Lie” takes things a step further with an even more intense reflection on inner conflict. The lyrics, “I live inside of me / So come and lick my fears,” paint a picture of someone who is both battling with themselves and trying to make peace with their own contradictions. The frantic energy here is amplified by the thrashing guitars and punchy rhythms, creating a sense of chaos that feels cathartic.
In “Bullnose Kit,” there’s a shift towards a more somber tone. The lines “Your arms were bottled down the drain / Your brown eyes were filled with my decay,” hit hard with their imagery of decay and emotional abandonment. Yet, despite the grimness of the lyrics, there’s a sense of resilience in the way the song builds. The repetitive phrases and the final release of energy at the end almost feel like a metaphor for breaking free from emotional stagnation.
And then there’s the final track, “The Sun That Won’t End,” which feels like a statement of defiance in the face of everything the album has explored. The repetition of “I am the sun that won’t end” becomes an anthem of persistence, even when life feels overwhelmingly cold or indifferent. The track kicks off with an acoustic guitar, then gradually amps up with some distortion, slowly building in power.
Musically, the album blends gritty guitar riffs with a brooding rhythm section, creating something that’s both hard-hitting and atmospheric. There’s a punk-infused edge to everything, but it never feels one-dimensional. The Rote’s ability to seamlessly move between hard rock power and more introspective moments makes Mary Underwater a nuanced experience. It’s an album about struggle, loss, and fighting to make sense of it all, with a sound that’s just as relentless and raw as the emotions it captures.
Overall, Mary Underwater feels like an album made for the disillusioned, the ones who feel stuck between self-doubt and the desire to break free. It’s heavy but thoughtful, and while it doesn’t always offer easy answers, it’s undeniably honest in its portrayal of the human experience.
*Go check out the interview we did last year*
The Rote members:
Ignacio Delgado, Rolo Sanchez and James Mulroony.
The Rote social media:
Punk Rock Mag 
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