ALBUM REVIEW: Bastard Grave – Diorama Of Human Suffering

Here I review the 2nd album of BASTARD GRAVE, filthy Death Metallers who promise a bludgeoning experience of true primitive Death Metal fury. Out on August 16th via Pulverised Records.

The record kicks in with crawling and dismal riffs over primal drums, that build into harmonies to add some flare with a really stunning old school feel before odious grooves pound in from the band, joined my pungent vocal assaults. Coming in on such strength with a violent and filthy attack of menacing old school Death Metal certainly makes for an excellent first impression. The band deliver on their promise of battering Death Metal with an aggressively hammered drum performance, ferociously ripping guitars and monolithic grotesque growls. An utterly phenomenal slab of gruellingly crushing musicianship, gorgeous production and grisly songwriting. Guitar solos are not overused with the occasionally whammy attack or melodic shred work piercing through before the cacophony of brutality comes creeping back. Throughout the album we are given a really epic mix of glorious convulsive tremolo riffing and thrashy upbeat grooves that crack your skull with their aggressive death-march. Taking elements from pretty much every classic old school Death Metal scene with some crust thrown in for good measure, this is a well rounded experience that has something for everyone and thus you cannot really dislike it. Balancing a morbid soundscape of dungeon-dwelling grinds that reek of festering slime with sewer spewed vocals, the band clearly are confident in their abattoir of primitive sounds, as they should be. Amidst the vitriolic churning of meaty riffs and blastbeats there is occasionally some rather beautiful atmospherics, giving a touch of class to the record. Well-crafted, putridly executed and violently catchy, certainly a damn solid release. If you want reliable, classic Death Metal that may not take risks but pulls off a devastating amount of decimation in under 40 minutes, this is certainly worth your time. Wonderfully done. -8/10