THE SECOND YOU PICK UP THE ALBUM AND NOTICE THE BAND NAME ‘VICIOUS BASTARD’, YOU KNOW SOMETHING CRAZY IS ABOUT TO HAPPEN!
AND THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT YOU GET FROM THIS MIDLANDS (UK) BASED GRINDCORE OUTFIT.
MADE UP OF MEMBERS FROM MALEVOLENT CREATION, VENOMOUS CONCEPT AND ANAAL NATHRAKH, THE TIGHT MUSICIANSHIP IS OBVIOUS TO HEAR, WITH DAVE WALFORD ON DRUMS WHO I WAS VERY IMPRESSED WITH, ALTHOUGH BRINGING NOTHING NEW TO THE TABLE, HIS BLASTBEATS AND RHYTHM PARTNERSHIP WITH BASSIST SCOTT COOPER ITS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT FROM A NASTY GRIND OUTFIT.
GUITARISTS JAMES WALFORD AND JOHN COOK DON’T SKIP A BEAT WITH BOTH TECHNICAL, BUT NOT OVER TECHNICAL RIFFING ON THIS RELEASE, I WOULD HAVE LIKED THE GUITAR SOUND A LITTLE BIT MORE MUDDY/SLUDGY, BUT THE GREAT PRODUCTION GIVES THE THRASHY SOUNDING AXES THE PERFECT PITCH FOR THIS ALBUM.
AND WHAT CAN YOU SAY ABOUT VOCALIST LUKE ORCHARD, BOY OH BOY! THIS GUY HAS CAST IRON VOCAL CHORDS THAT WOULD RIP ANY SET OF HEADPHONES TO PIECES.
HIS GUTTERAL NASTY SOUNDING THROAT SOUNDS MORE LIKE PIG AT THE SLAUGHTER HOUSE THAN A MERE MORTAL, BUT IT WEAVES ITS WAY INTO THIS RELEASE REMINDING ME OF THE OLD SCHOOL BIRMINGHAM STYLE VOCALS MADE FAMOUS BY EARLY LEE DORRIAN AND JEFF WALKER.
FROM THE FIRST TRACK ‘DEAD HOOKER’ THE SONIC EXPLOSION HITS YOU LIKE A SLEDGE HAMMER TO THE SIDE OF THE HEAD, AND THIS HEAD CRUSHING RELENTLESSNESS DOESN’T END UNTIL ABIT OVER 24 MINUTES LATER, AFTER A SERIES OF BLASTBEATS, GUTTERAL SCREAMS AND IN YOUR FACE FAST PACED GRINDCORE ALSO FEATURING GUEST VOCALS FORM NAPALM DEATHS MARK ‘BARNEY’ GREENWAY AND ANAAL NATHRAKH’S DAVE HUNT TO ADD ABIT OF SPICE TO THIS ALREADY SONIC EXPLOSION.
THE LAST 2 TRACKS, POST ABORTION LUST AND FROM THE SMOKE (CAME THE LOCUSTS) GO FOR CLOSE TO FIVE
MINUTES A PIECE WHICH IS ALMOST HALF THE ALBUM TIME MEANING THE OTHER 10 SONGS TEAR THROUGH YOU LIKE BEARS CLAWS, A LOT LIKE THE MINUTE LONG SPECIALS DISHED OUT TO US BY EARLY NAPLAM DEATH.
THIS ALBUM WOULD GO DOWN WELL WITH OLD GRIND FANS AS WELL AS TO ANYONE WANTING TO PISS THERE PARENTS OFF, ITS UGLY, ITS NASTY AND ITS EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO SEND YOUR MIND INTO SOME SORT OF METAL OVERLOAD, TURN IT UP AND GIVE PRAISE TO THESE ‘VICIOUS BASTARDS’!
Label: self-released
Category: Album
Country: UK
Reviewer: Hayden G.M.
