Bestialord – Law Of The Burning

Band – Bestialord

Album – Law of the Burning

Country of Origin – USA

Genre – Occult Horror Doom

Release Date – January 1st, 2018

Label – Cimmerian Shade Recordings

Author – The Great Mackintosh

So 2018 has finally rolled around, and what a way to start the new year. Bestialord come before our unworthy selves with an absolute belter of an album that, for my thinking, has an almost instant classic feel about it in more than one way. Yes it’s a big call to throw out there, but by the Seven Gods of my Holy Sock collection, I am prepared to make it!

Featuring Mike Anderson on guitar and vocals, Rob Harris on bass and Chris Johnson on drums, Bestailord bring all of the finest things metal can deliver and tie it all up into their debut album, being the one we are currently discussing. Well duh. ‘Why is this so damn good?’ you may well ask. Let us go through it together, hand in hand, as we skip down the road of awesomeness, shall we?

For starters, Mike’s vocal delivery is as evil as all fuck, and yet clear enough for you to make out exactly what he is singing about. That is a good thing considering the theme’s on offer here. Without spoiling a single thing for you, it’s all about darkness and horror. Who’d of thunk it! Not impressed yet?

For second starters, the riffs on this release are simply mind blowing, palm muted crunchiness of the kind that gets your head nodding along nicely. The pacing is superb. It may not get you flailing your hair around (if you have any left) like a wildebeest with a fly infestation, but I defy you not to be moving along with this excellence.

For third and fourth starters, that bass tone is just drop dead lead heavy. LEAD! That’s some heavy shit. Try carrying four car batteries around on your head and tell me it isn’t so. The drums? Well, they just do exactly what they should do. No fancy pancy bullshit here, just solid accompaniment and fills and accentuation of the show. Rather a blessing in these days of a double bass bum kicking at every turn.

I don’t know if I would actually call this doom of any kind. It has the feel and tone of a lot of earlier metal like King Diamond without the silly screaming. That instant appeal that you felt when you first heard an album like one of Possessed’s, or more for these times like what Fetid Zombie have achieved. The ability to sound so dated and keep it so fucking relevant.

Happy New Ear. I love it. May this be the first of your blessings to come.

Recommendation – Best (ial) thing I’ve heard in a while, o lord.

Rating: 4.5/5