Album Review: BAEST – Necro Sapiens

March 7, 2021 | Reviewed By Nick Davarias

Danish death metallers BAEST return with their third studio album titled ‘Necro Sapiens’. The band have amassed a dedicated fan base through their music. Taking advantage of touring with bands such as Abbath and Decapitated, BAEST has attracted the attention of metal fans around the world. This has led to the bar being set high for the highly anticipated release of ‘Necro Sapiens’. Century Media have blessed me with the honour of being able to review what promises to be a death metal gold mine so without any more hesitation here is what I thought of BAEST’s third studio album.

The sounds of ‘The Forge’ open the album creating an eerie feeling straight off the bat. A great way to set the tone for the album and it also works as a perfect intro for the next song on the album ‘Genesis’. As soon as the song starts you can hear the unmistakable classic death metal sound. There is no doubt BAEST are the real deal as the song sounds like an instant classic. Devilish blast beats from Sebastian Abildsten pierce deep into the song while the intense tremolo picking from both Svend Karlsson and Lasse Revsbech fill the track with unrivalled intensity. The inclusion of melodic sections really allows the song to stand out from other death metal releases. A perfect start from the Danes.

Following that, I was greeted with the album’s title track ‘Necro Sapiens’. This song is a death metal fans dream. An absolute monster of a song that utilises the core of death metal in a similar vein to bands like ‘Morbid Angel’ or ‘Entombed’. Simon Olsen’s growls sound remarkable and help carry the song to new heights. I can’t help but wonder just how good this one will sound when BAEST are able to perform it live. Not to be outdone, ‘Czar’ is a methodical assault to the ears as the brutal squeals and ever-powerful drumming drive this song right into your brain where it’ll remain for weeks to come. BAEST are not here to half-ass anything and you can clearly hear that the Danes have poured their hearts and souls into this record.

‘Abattoir’ marks the halfway point of the album and the band have shown no signs of slowing down yet! This song is one of the heaviest on the album yet it also displays just how good Svend and Lasse are on their axes. The guitar work throughout this song elevates the album to the next level. A truly tremendous display of musical technique from the two guitarists. Up next is the neck-snapping beast known as ‘Goregasm’. The name alone shows this song is not for the faint of heart. A truly infectious beat is laid out by Sebastian that will have any fan of metal, headbanging throughout the entirety of this masterpiece. I cannot tell you how many times I went back to listen to this one. By far my favourite track from the album. Everything sounds tight and well-knit culminates in a song that will rip its way into many death metal fans hearts.

Continuing down the record I was met with ‘Tower Of Suffocation’. The song is heavy as hell and boasts some of the best drumming on the album. Not to mention the absolutely brutal breakdown that will leave crowd killers in awe. A great track for a live environment! Unfortunately ‘Purification Through Mutilation’ doesn’t pack the same punch as the rest of the album. The song is a solid death metal track however it just fades into the background compared to the sheer quality of the rest of the record. A slight blip in what has been a near-perfect album up until this point.

Luckily, the album gets right back on track with the ferocious ‘Meathook Massacre’. The machine gun esc blast beats that open the song are out of this world. The brutality that persists throughout could easily fit in on any death metal album. This song stands its own ground and starts the beginning of the end in tremendous fashion. No wonder BAEST released this as one of the singles for the album. That being said, it’s time for the final track ‘Sea Of Vomit’ The vulgar name matches the disgustingly heavy barrage of metal that is about to unfold right in front of you. If you somehow have any of your neck left at this point, consider it completely obliterated. The song completes the album perfectly leaving the destruction it’s created behind.

This record absolutely kills. BAEST have proved that they deserve all the attention they have garnered over the past couple of years. The future of death metal is in great hands with bands like BAEST continuing the legacy that was carved in the flesh by bands like ‘Cannibal Corpse’ and ‘Death’. I highly recommend this album to anyone who has an interest in death metal in the slightest as it truly captivates the classic feel that seems somewhat lost in newer death metal releases. I cannot wait to see what BAEST’s future holds!

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