Band:	Bastard Grave
Album:	Vortex Of Disgust
Style:	Death metal
Release date:	March 2023

01. Sunder The Earth
02. Icon Bearer
03. Necrotic Ecstasy
04. Consumed And Forgotten [feat. Leila Abdul-Rauf]
05. Nameless
06. Hunger To Devour
07. Eternal Decomposition
08. Vortex Of Disgust

This is old school death metal the true Swedish way, simple as that, so get ready to vacuum yourself into the brutally heavy Vortex Of Disgust.

Formed in 2012 (and not in the early 90s) is this Swedish old-school styled death metal band not so pleasantly named Bastard Grave, who on their last two releases delivered what is the true definition of traditional Swedish death metal, very much within the brutally hellish domain of their fellow Swedes, the pioneering death metal legends Entombed and Dismember (whose influences here are beyond obvious). Therefore, it's with no surprise at all that they have opted to go down the same traditional old school route once again with this third full-length release Vortex Of Disgust, and yes, here you get the same old thunderous D-beats pounding away, along with the bone-crushing slow-to-mid-tempo heavy plodding riffs, with that vile Earth-shattering buzzsaw guitar tone.

If it sounds like you've heard it all before then that's probably because you have done, but if the traditional Swedish death metal approach is to your taste, then this album will more than likely suit you to the ground. However, there is one thing that is noticeably different, and that's the fresh new vocalist at the helm, Tiago Dias, a great new addition to the band who gives an impressive all-round performance, between his deep, heavy, monstrous growls, and thunderous roars, each of which complement the sheer heaviness behind Andreas and Daniel's guitar work.

There's nothing original about the songwriting here; nothing will surprise you or shock you to the core, but let's not take away the fact that they've tried their very best, and also succeeded, in providing us with the full atrociously satisfying brutal experience of that 90s traditional Swedish death metal sound, and they've done so all thanks to their stripped-backed filthy and raw production. This album isn't entirely influenced by the notorious 90s Swedish death metal scene; there are several moments where the tempo slows right down almost to a death doom pace, and you feel the atmosphere intensely brewing, giving off an Autopsy vibe, such as on the track “Necrotic Ecstasy”, the first song to throw in those atmospheric doom sections, which then leads to the solely death/doom-driven “Consumed And Forgotten”.

There's no denying the sound is tremendous; however, amongst the eight tracks spanning 39 minutes in length, there are actually very few moments that I find stand out. It's not that any track seems out of place, or of sub-par standards for that matter; it's very consistent in that regard, it's just the plodding slow-to-mid-tempo riffs that I find to be generic (yes, call me cynical), and they don't really grab my attention either, leaving me perhaps wanting something more. A little more pace in some areas perhaps, and maybe a little more groove in other parts, something to keep me hooked, and as I find some song do fall into monotonous territory.

So to conclude, if you're looking for something technical, complex, melodic, catchy, or original, then you won't find anything of the sort here with Bastard Grave I'm afraid, but if you want a simply structured, no-nonsense, in-your-face, heavy, solid death metal release with no drama attached, then Vortex Of Disgust will provide that for you. Alternatively, if you're simply looking for something that sounds very much like a slower tempo Entombed or Dismember with glimpses of Autopsy, then this album will also do just the right job for that.