Is War Metal the trvest genre of all? Or is it just a little too try hard? I care less and less about being ‘kvlt’ everyday, life’s too short, just have fun (damn I sound lame). Despite this pathetic rambling about ‘being free of the trve’ I will always get very excited about those whom hold the banner for real Metal, for as an ideology it’ll always be pretty close to my heart (he says whilst he turns off Grateful Dead in preparation for this review).

Proving their hellish impurity from the first second are Blasphamagoatachrist (absolutely incredible name). The Brazilian / Canadian project is one of great prowess. A supergroup of sorts with members from Blasphemy, Goatpenis and Antichrist this band is like an infamous hall of trve Metal royalty. Having formed in 2017 the band unleashed their demo Black Metal Warfare and now under the banner of Nuclear War Now! Productions comes the bands 2020 debut full length Bastardizing The Purity, prepare for hellfire!

Opening with Intro (50. Cal Demonic Chant) the War Metal scene is set with gunfire and evil undertones, a haunting (and for once) suitable introduction to an Extreme Metal release. The title track is rife with terrible production, and I like it. A thick fuzz envelopes the track with inaudible riffs and drums, not to mention fierce vocals from the mighty Nocturnal Grave Desecrater And Black Winds. It’s maniacal Slayer on speed approach sets a bar for the snappy record. Black Nuclear Shadows actually gives the listener something to grab onto in its opening Thrash driven riffs, a nice touch before the ensuing madness.

One thing you don’t want to find in your album however is not one, not two, but three intros! I mean the opening intro track was strong, but we really don’t need more than that. The Final Blood Orgy which succeeds the second intro is a full on War Metal attack, engaging, evil and thoroughly trve. Like a lot of War Metal however things soon get a little stale, Genocide Evocation is probably that point where we realise there’s not going to be any great innovation. Fire Demons of Blokula at least gives us some more exciting and quite epic Blackened guitar work, but that aside it’s much the same formula of barbarity and little more. Closing the record is Evil Revelation, little more than another drop in this War Metal, bullet belt laden shrug of a release.

I can’t stress enough that I’m a fan of War Metal, Blasphemy, Bestial Warlust, Conqueror, and Revenge are all top bands in my mind. However, that doesn’t mean it’s all great, indeed Blasphamagoatachrist are still just okay. Sure, this album has its moments, the production is killer, the guitar work is strong and the War Metal ethos is certainly there. Perhaps a more seasoned fan of the genre may disagree, but if you’re looking to get more deeply invested in War Metal then I’d say give this one a miss.

(6/10 George Caley)

https://www.facebook.com/blasphamagoatachrist

https://nuclearwarnowproductions.bandcamp.com/album/bastardizing-the-purity