Persecutor - Bestial Overkill

PERSECUTOR - Bestial Overkill (TIME BEFORE TIME - CD 2011)

Polish metal scene is filled with killer bands and loads of great death or black metal stuff. We have also fantastic acts from the thrashing black / death metal style, with names like Witchmaster, Bestiality, Warfist, Ragehammer, Bloodthirst, Empheris, Excidium… And there’s also Persecutor. I don’t think that this band is widely known, even here in Poland I doubt that their name is known to everyone. They’re well hidden in the underground obscurity. But the stuff they’ve done so far, like this album and killer split CD with Poisoned are recordings, which I really wanna recommend. They were all released on small labels, so don’t expect anything fancy, glossy and mainstream. Time Before Time Records (label, which belonged to Tom H, from the mighty Throneum), which released Persecutor’s only album “Bestial Overkill” does not exist anymore for instance. Anyway, if you’ll ever have a chance to pick this album up or any other Persecutor’s releases, do so! They’re great, I think, especially this album. If you like evil sounding, raw, vulgar and aggressive pure metal, then you will love it for sure!

“Bestial Overkill” contains nine violent, relentless and filthy slabs of thrash / black metal. Persecutor’s influences may range from Bathory and old Slayer through Impaled Nazarene, Merciless and newer acts like Aura Noir, Nocturnal Breed and even Angel Corpse. And Motorhead of corpse! All songs are quite fast and straight forward, this music really sounds nasty and vicious, aggressive but also powerful, because the production is really good and energetic. It’s total devastation and vileness. “Bestial Overkill” never turns its ugly head for soft or melodic playing. It’s pure metal, you know?! And along this relentlessness that this music brings, it’s great that it has also some memorable parts, there’s always sort of chorus, where you will hear a catchy lyrical phrases and riffs, so the song will surely stick in your head and you will start to scream these lyrics next time you’ll play “Bestial Overkill”! It’s nothing complex or sophisticated, nothing progressive or ultra fancy. And that’s the way I like it. I don’t need super polished, plastic commercial metal like the one, which big labels offer. Much more I prefer such albums like “Bestial Overkill” and definitely it always gives me a good kick, what matters the most.

Standout tracks: “Possessed by Speed”, “Battlerape”, “Darkened Call”

Final rate: 80/100