Baalberith - Manhunt

BAALBERITH - Manhunt (GODZ OV WAR - CD 2021)

I had one encounter with Baalberith before, when they released a split with Parh titled "Total Regression of Humanity". But that was few years ago and I don't remember anything from the mentioned split CD, to be honest. I am not even sure if I still have it. But Baalberith recently returned with their debut album "Manhunt", released through the restless Godz ov War Productions. And so, I had a chance to give few spins to this CD. 

My impression? Baalberith is a solid band, for sure. I can admit that their music has a good quality, technically everything was done correctly here. The production is meaty and powerful, Baalberith came up with some killer riffs, I like the feeling, how a bit of groove was mixed with brutality of their death metal. They had some cool ideas for arrangements and songwriting, this shit has a nice flow, it's intense and vicious... It’s a bit in the same vein as other Polish bands such as Stillborn or Kingdom. So, "Manhunt" delivers a nice listening session, especially with songs such as "Your Last Step" or "Tons of Mud". 

What is wrong then? I just cannot say that “Manhunt” blew me off. First and foremost, I am not big fan of that sort of growls, which you could hear here. They bore me and just sound a bit irritating. Besides, I constantly have that feeling that overall this music is just very mediocre. I don't want to say that it's forgettable or worthless, because that wouldn't be fair to the band and all the work they did here. And I am sure that there will be fans, who will enjoy this music more than I did. Personally, I just cannot find there many things, which would really knock me out or make me remember this album for good. And with all the high-quality releases around, this one has a small chance to win my full appreciation. Luckily, "Manhunt" is rather short album, a little over thirty minutes long, so giving it a spin or two doesn’t hurt. 

Verdict: 69/100