Album Review – Baest / Colossal (2025)

Back from the fires of Denmark with a fresh sound and a badass attitude, this unstoppable creature will crush you with their fourth studio album, a thrilling celebration of Heavy Metal played with Extreme Metal intensity.

Back once again from the fires of Aarhus, Denmark with a fresh sound and a badass attitude, the ruthless Death Metal creature known as Baest will crush our damned minds and souls with their fourth full-length opus, entitled Colossal, following up on their fantastic albums Danse Macabre (2018), Venenum (2019) and Necro Sapiens (2021) while also cementing their reputation as Extreme Metal mavericks with an ear for lethal hooks. Produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio, and featuring a demonic artwork by Solo Macello, the new offering by frontman Simon Olsen, axemen Lasse Revsbech and Svend Karlsson, bassist Mattias “Muddi” Melchiorsen, and drummer Sebastian Abildsten is an absolute monster, bursting at the seams with catchy riffs and classy melodies, with stylistic salutes to everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Dokken, through to Iron Maiden and Whitesnake, while still rooted in the belligerent Death Metal that informed previous records, resulting in a magnificent Rock N’ Roll rebirth of such a prominent beast from the Danish metal scene.

The AC/DC-infused riffs by Lasse and Svend ignite the opening tune Stormbringer before the music turns into a wild fusion of Death Metal with Progressive Rock and Metal elements, followed by the indomitable Colossus, showcasing heavy-as-hell, Doom Metal-infused lyrics growled by Simon (“Colossus / Breath the air of the deceit / Colossus / Feel the weight of your defeat / Colossus / Never stray from the common line / Colossus / Crushed under the weight of the colossus”) while the sounds blasted by his bandmates are absolutely dark and menacing. The band keeps delivering sheer adrenaline spearheaded by the venomous vocals by Simon in In Loathe and Love, a lesson in modern-day Death Metal, whereas in King of the Sun, featuring Jesper Binzer of Danish rock band D-A-D on guest vocals, we’re treated to a rockin’ sonority led by the classic beats and fills by Sebastian.

Then blending the fury of Death Metal with the heaviness of Doom and Sludge Metal we have Imp of the Perverse, with Mattias and Sebastian hammering their thunderous weapons mercilessly; and featuring additional vocals by Danish black metal band ORM, the band offers another blast of insanity, heaviness and classy Death Metal in Misfortunate Son, with the riffage by Lasse and Svend exhaling pure adrenaline. Then get ready to be crushed into tiny pieces to the sound of Mouth of the River, where Simon’s deranged growls walk hand in hand with Sebastian’s pounding drums; and a guitar-driven instrumental tune titled Light the Beacons, which feels like an ode to all of their idols and influences, sets the stage for Depraved World, a multi-layered, groovy and vibrant composition where the deep roars by Simon match perfectly with all riffs, bass lines and beats, putting a climatic ending to the album.

Colossal never bends to current trends; instead, it is a thrilling celebration of Heavy Metal played with Extreme Metal intensity, representing a wholesale transformation. Inspired by and infused with old school, classic metal riffs, Colossal is an album that delights in the glory of Heavy Metal and the fine art of rocking out, inviting us all to bang our heads and raise our horns together with those beyond talented Danes, and they’re waiting for you on Facebook, InstagramYouTube and Spotify with more of their ass-kicking music, undisputed attitude, and deep passion for all types of rock and metal music. Hence, you can purchase a copy of Colossal by clicking HERE, or you can also click HERE for all things Baest, getting to know more about one of the best bands of the current scene worldwide. As you might have noticed, something colossal is coming, and you better brace for impact as those boys are armed to the teeth with the pulverizing sounds of their incendiary newborn beast.

Best moments of the album: Colossus, In Loathe and Love, Mouth of the River and Depraved World.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2025 Century Media Records

Track listing
1. Stormbringer 4:32
2. Colossus 4:23
3. In Loathe and Love 5:09
4. King of the Sun 4:09
5. Imp of the Perverse 5:56
6. Misfortunate Son 4:02
7. Mouth of the River 4:24
8. Light the Beacons 3:42
9. Depraved World 6:03

Band members
Simon Olsen – vocals
Lasse Revsbech – guitars
Svend Karlsson – guitars
Mattias “Muddi” Melchiorsen – bass
Sebastian Abildsten – drums, percussion

Guest musicians
Jesper Binzer – vocals on “King of the Sun”
ORM – vocals on “Misfortunate Son”

Album Review – Shakma / On Tenebrous Wings (2023)

A force to be reckoned with, this Norwegian Blackened Thrash Metal trio is back with a deadlier sequel to their 2018 debut album, expanding the band’s dark horizons even further.

Formed in 2014 in Haugesund, a municipality on the North Sea in Rogaland county, Norway, and inspired by the occult and 80’s horror B-movies (which makes me wonder if the name of the band comes from the 1990 cult film Shakma), the unstoppable Blackened Thrash Metal horde Shakma continues to haunt our damned souls with their visceral music in their new opus, titled On Tenebrous Wings. Recorded and produced by Tom Poole-Kerr at Green Engine Recording, and displaying an obscure artwork by Solo Macello, On Tenebrous Wings picks up right where their 2018 debut House of Possession left off while sounding darker and more intricate, or a deadlier sequel expanding the band’s dark horizons that proves vocalist and guitarist Marco Runic, bassist Stian Golden and drummer Aleksander Runic are a force to be reckoned with.

Dark and sinister from the very first second, the 80’s horror movie-inspired intro Evocation will embrace you in total darkness before the trio comes hammering our heads with their infernal fusion of Black and Thrash Metal in the title-track On Tenebrous Wings, with Marco extracting pure malignancy from his riffs supported by the bestial drumming by Aleksander, being therefore the perfect way to kick off such incendiary album. Stian then brings the groove to the band’s flammable thrashing sounds in Nocturnal Obsession, also presenting hints of Hardcore to make it an even better option for some circle pit action; whereas Marco continues to bark and gnarl in the name of evil in Cryptic Apparition, a frantic, in-your-face creation by the trio that lives up to the legacy of Scandinavian Blackened Thrash Metal.

The trio shows no signs of slowing down nor any mercy for our souls in Necromancer, another explosive tune played at the speed of light with Aleksander smashing his drums nonstop for our vulgar delectation, followed by Under His Spell, simply demented and breathtaking from the very first second with all three band members being on absolute sync, spearheaded by the stylish and furious riffage by Marco (who also delivers his usual raspy, unfriendly vocal lines). Their second to last breath of sulfur and Thrash Metal, entitled The Howling Beast, will keep the mosh pit moving manically, with Marco and Stian kicking some ass with their respective riffs and bass lines; and as the entire album exhales darkness and hatred, the closing song, titled Ancient Power, would certainly follow that same demonic pattern, bringing to our ears a humongous dosage of the trio’s infernal riffs, hammering bass and incendiary blast beats.

The sulfurous and frantic On Tenebrous Wings is available for a full and detailed listen on YouTube and on Spotify, but of course you can put your damned hands on this precious gem of the underground by purchasing it from the band’s own BandCamp page, from the Duplicate Records’ BandCamp page or webstore as a CD, an LP, a marble LP, a cassette or a blue cassette, or simply click HERE for all things Shakma, and don’t forget to also follow the band on Facebook and on Instagram. If On Tenebrous Wings was a horror movie, it would surely be a deadly, bloodthirsty one, and we all should thank the guys from Shakma for bringing such high level of horror and fury in the form of first-class metal music to our avid ears.

Best moments of the album: On Tenebrous Wings, Cryptic Apparition and Under His Spell.

Worst moments of the album: None.

Released in 2023 Duplicate Records

Track listing
1. Evocation 1:00
2. On Tenebrous Wings 4:53
3. Nocturnal Obsession 3:31
4. Cryptic Apparition 6:01
5. Necromancer 3:11
6. Under His Spell 4:58
7. The Howling Beast 4:07
8. Ancient Power 4:57

Band members
Marco Runic – vocals, guitars
Stian Golden – bass
Aleksander Runic – drums