Album Review: Bastard Cröss - Crossripper
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
Now and again, I like to dip my toe back into the world of blackened thrash and the debut album from Philadelphian crypt dwellers Bastard Cröss, is one that has put a smile firmly on my chops. If you are a fan of horror films, black metal and punk, then you will need this in your life, as it’s got the lot.
The quartet begin their charge with “Parasitic” a song about “a parasite-ridden village” and the opening drumming from the wonderfully named Infernal Bastard, is sublime and gives an immediate taste of what these are all about. As the band explain, they like “to create intense, aggressive metalpunk splashed with twin vocal attacks, powerful guitar harmonies and crusty bass tones” and from the off, they do this incredibly well.
They continue with the album title track, “Crossripper” incorporating elements of death metal across the spooky harmonies, before the haunting screams leave you enthralled. With guitars and vocals shared by Blasphemous Axe and Heathen Chevalier across the record, they leave a trail of devastation, and I’m left wanting more. I don’t have to wait long, as “Lycan Knights” screeches out of the speakers with reckless abandon. It’s a blast of dark fantasy and black metal, where the dual vocals give it more menace and evil intent.
They have revisited an earlier song from their debut EP, giving “Headless” an updated sound, with new arrangements that give it a dynamic edge. There’s no getting away from the fact that the album is superb from start to finish and they have one hell of a crunchy riff in the middle of “Satanic Pandemonium” which is an exceptionally good song. It’s got everything that you expect and want from a blackened thrash metal band with punk elements thrown in for good measure.
“Sarcophagus” is all about “a mummy who returns from the dead” and much like the lyrics, the band are here to create as much destruction as possible. I’m hearing Hellripper and Midnight when I listen closely, as the songs, which are cloaked in a brutal intensity, have lots of delicious melodies. “Demons at Midnight” sees the band divert to the 80s glam metal scene and reveals their sense of fun and creativity, however, it still has that same energy and bite especially from bassist Beheader of Priests and fits in seamlessly.
They are back on familiar thrash territory with the excellent “Phantom Pestilence” which has an eerie, creepy feeling to the opening few bars, almost sweetly satanic, and never lets up. It’s relentless in its pursuit of being a full-on nasty song and achieves this perfectly. The drums, bass, guitars are at one, creating a sonic blast of sound that will put a smile on many faces.
“Evil, Pure, Uncorrupted, Ancient” summons the final bruising track, “Behead the Priest” which is over 5 minutes of pure savagery. They are uncompromising in their approach to how they play music and have crafted songs that are ferocious, ruthless and sinister but most of all, they are songs that are damn good fun to listen to. All hail Bastard Cröss!
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