Bastard Grave – Vortex of Disgust (Review)

Scandinavia is always a good place when it comes to rotten music. In the last years the attention was more focused on US bands such as Gatecreeper, Frozen Soul and Tribal Gaze. The main reason might be the very European sound that the bands adopted perfectly when there was a big OSDM hype (which is still going on). But for me, the younger European bands are often overlooked or left out of the ongoing OSDM conversation. Galvanizer, Morbific, Concrete Winds and Bastard Grave are only a few names to mention. Talking about Bastard Grave, their third album will be released on 10.3.2023 via Pulverised Records. Vortex Of Disgust contains 8 neck-breaking songs. But what exactly does the new record sound like?

If you threw Entombed, Grave, Autopsy and Carcass into a swamp, ferment them there for about 5 years, you would get an album like Vortex Of Disgust.

A stomping death groove, which could probably break every bone in your body. The crushing drums paired with raging riffs create the perfect old school sound. Already with the opener “Sunder The Earth” it becomes clear how important bands like Entombed and Grave are for Bastard Grave. The legendary HM2 chainsaw sound underlines this perfectly.

The Swedes manage to build up an oppressive atmosphere especially on songs like “Necrotic Ecstasy” or “Eternal Decomposition”. This is almost reminiscent of a horror movie in some places. Desperately you try to escape the killer, but just can’t manage to move fast enough. Through the tempo changes on the drums and the guitars, Bastard Grave build up an interesting arc of tension. Especially the slow grooving parts remind me a lot of Autopsy. Tiago Dias sounds like a monster; the deep growls sound a lot like the early works of Carcass. His distinctive voice fits perfectly to the old school setting of the band. Even if Vortex Of Disgust has no weaknesses for me, the last three songs are the true highlight.

The piano intro on “Hunger To Devour” takes the listener directly into an 80s horror movie before the song then turns into a Death Metal bulldozer. Again, the slow-paced drumming crushes your skull.

The last two tracks, “Eternal Decomposition” and the title track serve as prime examples of how to compose a swamp-soaked and horrified mood. Shout out to Thomas “Necromaniac” Westphal for creating an absolutely disgusting album artwork which is fitting perfectly.

Look no further, if you want some rotten Death Metal, Vortex Of Disgust by Bastard Grave is the perfect album for you.