Heavy Blog loves Beaten to Death. Like really, really loves Beaten to Death. And how could we not? Album after album, the Norwegian grindcore mad scientists prove that extreme music doesn’t have to be that serious. Their off-the-wall, zany, maniacal strain of grindcore always manages to deliver a nasty punch and a laugh.
Today, we’re getting a first peek at their next chapter. Vntrve arrives on October 23rd via Mas-Kina Records and promises to be a rollicking adventure through abrasive riffs, off-kilter rhythms, and ear-shredding blastbeats. Along the way, we meet a cartoonish cast of characters on psychedelic adventures: K-pop demons, dying ponies, and our melancholy protagonist, the Sunburnt Satanist.
Inspired by a series of unfortunate events involving drummer Chris “Anti-Christian” Bartender having to apply corpse paint on a sunburnt face, “Sunburnt Satanist” follows a “trve kvlt Norwegian satanic warrior going on holiday in southern Europe.” Out of respect for our Nordic friend’s plight, the track is almost sedate by B2D standards, relying on moody basslines to oscillate from mad enthusiasm to grim regret.
Lurching, almost jazzy, excitement accompanied by howls fades into atmospheric angst and forlorn riffs, only to ricochet into frantic shouting as our crispy hero rallies. After all, the band says: “Even the evilest of Nordic Vikings need the occasional break from the call of the winter moon.”
Listen to the track below and stay tuned for Vntrve, out October 23rd. Follow Beaten to Death on Bandcamp, Facebook, or Instagram.
“Sunburnt Satanist” cover art created by the band's good friend and cartoonist Kristian Krohg-Sørensen.