STILLBORN - Testimonio de Bautismo (GODZ OV WAR - CD 2016)
Time seems to move so quickly.
It feels like yesterday when Stillborn was a newcoming band, with debut album “Satanas
el Grande” released on Pagan Records. But it’s now twelve years later and album
number four (five if you include “Esta rebelión es eternal”) arrives to my quarters.
Yeah, this was fast. Anyway, I have to admit that I’ve never been huge
Stillborn music fan. It’s OK, I like it, but I’ve never been 666% enthusiastic
about it and don’t really come back to their albums often. I have similar
feelings for Bloodthirst, by the way. Things may change for better though,
because here’s „Testimonio de Bautismo” and damn, I have to say that never
before I felt so violently massacred by Stillborn music. This is really great
album and surely my favourite in their whole discography!
Technically speaking,
Stillborn didn’t change much since their earlier days, as they carry on playing
their violent blend of black and thrash metal, with some of the most fierce and
vicious attitudes you can imagine. But they just never sounded so bestial and
aggressive as on „Testimonio de Bautismo”, in my opinion. Maybe the production
is the reason why this album sounds so much better than any of its predecessors
or maybe it’s just because the songs are better? Well, they definitely are
better, with truly killer riffs everywhere, some fantastic arrangements (listen
to “Obłęd” and how fantastically it begins). And the vocals, which sound like
performed by possessed, maniacal person. And I don’t know if I’m going crazy,
but quite often this album sounds almost catchy to me, even though it should
never give any pleasant feelings. There are no sweet harmonies, no charming
melodies. It hardly ever slows down, so technically this album should be a
violent, punching attack that will leave just fire and death behind. But even
if it is like that, it sounds memorable to me anyway haha. Give a listen to
such “Upiór” or “Modlitwa poganina” for example, which are the slowest songs on
this CD. Or give a listen to the insanely malicious “Obłęd”. All songs will
force a maniacal headbanging and will explode into your ears with merciless
aggression. Even the final song, which is an instrumental piece, sounds like a
perfect summary of the whole „Testimonio de Bautismo” – what a blast!!! And if
you dig bands like Impiety, some Australian troops of death and even the
Canadian war demons, then Stillborn should be for you also.
Finally let me also say that I
think that it worked extremely great to use Polish lyrics for this album. Not
only I enjoy the blasphemous texts with that “fuck off” attitude, but the
vocals performed by Killer have gained a bit more pissed off character and it
fits the whole music perfectly.
I have to say that here in
Poland we have great gift for bands alike to Stillborn. Give a listen to
Bestiality, Witchmaster, Hell United, Kingdom and Persecutor – to name just few.
They all share similar attitude towards metal and play it in the most violent
and ferocious ways. It looks like „Testimonio de Bautismo” reached my top three
of favourite Polish albums from all the bands that I just mentioned. And that’s
something I didn’t really expect, but the more pleased I am when I give it a
listen and enjoy this fuckin sweet, blasting metal of death.
Standout tracks: “Obłęd”, “Upiór”
Final rate: 90/100
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