Oregon is a perfect breeding ground for the blacker and crustier side of extreme metal. It has plenty of grim forests, it rains and loads of people smoke pot there (which we all know produces hippies and smelly people). Fall Of The Bastards encompasses all of these qualities with their thrashing and galloping take on black metal. It’s not straight up black metal and that’s were these fellows keep the music appealing Dual guitars lead the listener through harmonious and melodic passages only to take a hairpin turn and then punch you in the face without smearing any corpse paint. No, they don’t wear corpse paint and they earn points for that. The overall song composition is one of the stronger points of this band and they are always keeping the listener’s ears perked with different pacing and the aforementioned dual guitars. As I listened to this album, I noticed some of the riffs are really fucking catchy. The vocals are fairly standard and reach the requisite high and lower, grunt-like pitches. While everything is going grand and I’m bobbing my head to the music, they nearly fuck it all up by tacking on four live tracks. I realize they may not have the money for the studio time, it adds to the length of the album, etc etc. Dudes! I’m not afraid of an album that’s less than half an hour. As I’ve said before, I consider a full length album similar to a painting, a completed work of art, the ultimate artistic statement in music. Throwing on some live songs is a nice gesture and all but leave them for a split or a compilation of some sorts. Live songs are gay and the crowd response is even gayer to hear. I don’t give a shit if these people are having a splendid time. "Oregon metal roolz!" is what one jerk-off yells. Thanks dude. I’m sure the majority of the people in attendance were not from Oregon and really needed such a startling revelation. Enough of the panties bunching up in my ass, I’m sure they do rule live and this is a pretty good album. Thumbs up a dog’s butthole for me.

Written By: GruntCunter