So after the longest break between albums of the band’s career (not counting a limited edition EP, Gagging Order in 2019), Joe and Alan are back with yet another new lineup and a new label. And the time off (as well as subsequent geo-socio-political events since) has tempered the duo and their new bandmates to white-hot levels of intensity that match or even outdo the band’s prior output, despite the band now truly veteran status.

The band has always masterfully crafted death metal that had equal parts brutality and crafty melody (I’ve always compared the band to a better Kataklysm meets classic  Brutality much to the band’s chagrin) and added some Napalm Death ish grindcore/punk sneer to the mix on the Peace Was Never an Option, and all of that is back in massive, razor sharp spades, but the band has now added a small level of carefully crafted introspection to the mix, resulting in a contemplative and mature but still utterly pissed off Man Must Die. Yep- they are older and wiser, but still dangerous, grumpy old men of death metal now.

After the rip-roaring opener “Patterns in the Chaos”, which imbues the three bands mentioned above succinctly, the title track shows the first glimpse of a more patient, but deadly band not afraid to get a little more personal with some moody structures, semi-clean vocals, and an overall world-weary aura befitting the last 5 years. Napalm Death‘s more experimental/industrial era comes to mind a bit.

And those more introspective moments spring up amid the savagery with well-timed respites as heard on the 6+minute “Enabler”, interlude “Alone in a Crowded Room” and melodic standout “War is My Will”, which might be the best thing the band has delivered since “Severe Facial Reconstruction” “Kingdom Shall Fall” “Hiding in Plain Site”, or “Sectarian”.

Fear not though, there’s plenty of brutal, blasting, Haggis exploding fuckery with intense numbers (though still craftily melodic, when even in full throttle) like “Clickhate”, “In the Hour Before your Death”, “Bring Me the Head of the King”, or “Who Goes There?/I.F.F”, another real standout to end the album.

Another solid if not excellent album in the band’s already solid if not excellent discography, that solidifies Man Must Die as the grizzled, reigning king of Scottish death metal despite a few challengers over the year.

Also- Hey Joe, if you read this, in the 2013 interview you did with me,  you said an EP of cover songs was maybe in the works. What gives?????????????

Well, Rotten Blood, by new-to-me St. Louis Blackened Speed/Thrash outfit Bastard, just slammed me. Absolutely obliterated me. I can hear Flair howling in the distance as he drives away.

What we have here is a swaggering, Motorhead and Nifilheim-worshiping, full-throttle barrage of goat-dick-swinging blasphemy. A celebration of all things Satan, Speed and Rock & Roll not unlike my favorite album of last year, Demiser’s Through the Gate Eternal. To even be reminded of that album is enough for me to know that we’ve got another absolute winner here. There’s a sneering, fuck-all attitude throughout this record that I just cannot get enough of, one that can only come from a group of dudes with a blue-collar core, who’ve taken life cues from the likes of Lemmy and Cronos.

As you might suspect, Rotten Blood is all about the riffs, and it comes packing some doozies. After an appropriate double-kick start to “Whipstrike,” and a necessary “OUGH” from vocalist Jason Barron, guitarist Scott Fogelbach (who also plays bass for excellent Blackened Sludge outfit, The Lion’s Daughter) kicks it into gear with a thrashing riff worthy of the song’s title that will grab you by the neck and make you start banging your head involuntarily. Honestly, just let it happen, because it’s gonna take you on a wild ride you do not want to miss out on. You’ll especially want to stick around til the 2:36 mark, where he breaks out the “n’roll” elements over a two-step beat that is every bit as familiar, but nonetheless infectious as it sounds. The excellent solo layered over it is just more icing on this deliciously venomous cake. Similar Rock n’ Roll-tinged thrashers “Protector” and “Rotten Blood” will have you begging to chug some Jack straight out the bottle right before riding your Harley through the living room at your next Heavy Metal house party (*DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE*), and 2022 may have just found it’s official metal theme song in “Under the Tattered Banners (Of Rock-n-Roll)” – an absolute barn burner of an anthem that begs for a good stage-rush to fully get the whole experience.

Accompanying the excellent riffing is a perfectly toned rumbling bass courtesy of Tim Kutterer, providing an excellent backbone and some additional gruff, especially on the more bruising, mid-paced opening stanza, and punishing closing breakdown on “The Possession.” And that bass really shines through beautifully behind the breakneck riffing on “Leather Bound Book of Lies,” really accentuating the downbeats and making the whole thing sound like it’s gurgling up from the fiery pits of hell. Kudos are in order for drummer Jason Asbury (Harkonin, Stormruler) who handles the relentless onslaught with absolute precision and proficiency, expertly laying the perfect foundation for the strings to build on.

If you REALLY want to nitpick, you could make a complaint that Rotten Blood is a little on dimensional in its tempo and tone, but… why would you? You’ve missed the point. It’s clear from the get-go that Bastard are putting a cinderblock on the accelerator, blasting the stereo up to 11, and climbing into the bed of the truck to pollute the world with blistering riffage while their truck barrels through the streets, mowing down everything in its path. Rotten Blood is an unfiltered, unfettered, un-fucked-with slab of gnarly friggin’ metal, and I absolutely adore it. Kataklysm/Ex-Deo/Invictus mastermind Maurizo Iacono, found himself a real gem to help spearhead his new record label.