Hailing from somewhere in fucking Sweden we have this monstrosity of a band. Bastard Priest consists of Matt Mendoza on bombs of mayhem/rabid screams of the mutilated dead and Inventor on six and four string chains/unholy cries of doom. The songs have apparently been recorded in Malmö in November 2010 with a few finishing lead works and vocals in 2011 at Welcome To Hell Mobile Studio. The production on this record is very raw and uncompromising, it is also pretty dirty. The guitars are distorted to hell and it sounds like the bass is both mildly and heavily distorted at times, but what the fuck do I know about basses? It is also great that they have this raw and sick distortion without sacrificing the vocals or the drums, that is indeed a feat! And concerning the drums, I love them! Matt Mendoza mostly varies between two beats on this record, but he does it really well with a lot of energy and power. These drums are really powerful. It feels like Bastard Priest have been influenced by hardcore bands like Anti Cimex, Discharge, Disfear, Bombanfall etc. and early death metal. The combination of these influences really creates something special. This is Bastard Priests' second record, released by Blood Harvest. And I must say they did an even better job this time.
Bastard Priest.
The mayhem kicks off with Pestilent Force, a great pounding wrecking ball that mows down everything weak and unfilthy. This song is pretty fast and it begins with a buzzing guitar riff and is accompanied by a steady beat on the drums and a fierce solo. About two minutes into the song there is a break, a sample is played and then the first riff is making its second comeback, this time it is followed by a lashing solo. The song clocks in at almost 4 minutes and it ends with a horrid grunt from hell. Pestilent Force is followed by Ghouls of the Endless Night, the title track and the pounding just keeps wrecking my face and melting my brain. The song starts with a relentless intro in midtempo with a crushing riff and another solo, after about half a minute they turn up the tempo and unleash a furious onslaught complete with some good old D-beat. I really love the energy that this band display! This song is one of the longest ones on the record but that doesn't bother me at all, since they keep punching me in the face. Ghouls of the Endless Night is followed by the third track, Enter Eternal Nightmare, and the merciless gutting is ongoing. Damn this is some unpure death metal and totally uncompromising havoc. Enter Eternal Nightmare begins with a rolling beat and a few heavy chords. The lead guitar soon kicks in and does its job. This song is pretty slow in the beginning but the tempo is soon enough raised and we are drawn into the verse followed by the chorus. Enter Eternal Nightmare ends after about four and a half minute. The A-side ends with Poison, which is a slow and grinding onslaught that signals the end of life itself and also the A-side. This is the slowest song on the entire record, but it doesn't disturb me at all. The lyrics are puked out in a vile growl while the drums keep a steady and powerful beat and the bass and the guitars lay a carpet of violent terror upon the listener, especially after about two and a half minutes.
A mean and gritty logo. To me it combines elements of classical acts like Entombed and Shitlickers.
Time for the B-side.
This side begins with Sacrilegious Ground, and it is just as powerful as any track on the A-side. The guitars sound like buzzing chainsaws that rape the fuckin' universe. The universally raping guitars are present on the entire record by the way. After the slow and monumental ending on the A-side we welcome this song, because it is another fast and merciless track. This song is one of the three songs on the album that clocks in over five minutes. The tempo is raised and kept throughout most of the song, as the guitars buzz their way onward while Matt Mendoza performs some filthy vocals. My favorite part of this piece is the second half. First we are served a ripping bridge with lead details, we are then enthralled by a hypnotizing beat from Matt and then utterly blown apart by the final solo. Fuckin' A.
Followed by Sacrilegious Ground we have Fucking Slaughter and it starts of with a sample of someone smashing a weak-ass poser face with a bottle, proper enough. The first thing that comes to my mind when I hear the first riff in this song is hardcore. The riff sounds very much alike the riffs used by Swedish hardcore bands in the 80's and 90's and it is followed by d-beat. I wonder if Matt and Inventor listen to Anti Cimex or Wolfpack. After about two and a half minutes we are served a short break with a great riff, this break is soon smashed and followed by more madness, I love it. Fucking Slaughter is just over four minutes long and these are some damn good four minutes.
Dressed for war.
After Fucking Slaughter we are totally ravaged by Last Scream, another great and destroying hit. Last Scream starts with a menacing riff and some badass fills on the drums. This is followed by a really good solo that brings us into the verse where the vocals begin. This song is about someone getting eaten alive and it is a pure annihilation in mid tempo. If I had to chose a favorite song on this record, Last Scream would be the one. Last Scream is the shortest song on the album and it is just over three and a half minutes long. Some two minutes into the song we are served the second solo, and Inventor really shines here.
We arrive at the end of the record and the total end is presented by Enormous Thunder of the End. I could not have asked for a better ending to this brutal assault of a record. It starts with a slow intro where the rhythm guitar and the bass strum a few chords. The drums are exploding in the background and the lead guitar is doing what it does best. After about half a minute the lead guitar plays another intro solo while the drums have found a steady beat. About one minute into the song all hell breaks lose and we are served with an excellent riff from the string department and the drums are mowing down everything that stand in the way of the mighty war machine that is Bastard Priest. Matt Mendoza is vomiting pure sickness upon the listener and it is hard to resist both headbanging and flexing the hardcore fist while listening to this piece. This track is the monumental ending that completes the reeking plague that is the Ghouls of the Endless Night.
I am very satisfied with my own copy of this record.
To sum it all up, this is truly a great record filled with gut-smashing death metal. You should get yourself a copy of this jewel. I have no idea whether it is sold out or anything, but head over to Blood Harvest and check it out.
This record is for anyone that appreciates either Discharge or Death.
My verdict: 5/5
LINKS:
Bastard Priest - http://www.myspace.com/bastardpriestsweden and http://bastardpriest.com/
Blood Harvest - http://www.bloodharvest.se/
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