ALBUM REVIEW: Surge – Bas Rotten

“There’s a storm coming like nothing you’ve ever seen, and not a one of you is prepared for it!” That’s the first thing listeners hear on the debut record from Portuguese grindcore five-piece BAS ROTTEN. It’s a quote from the 2011 film Take Shelter, and serves as an apt warning for the chaos to come. Formed in 2016, the band have spent the past four years or so honing their craft on stages around Europe. Now, they finally release their long-awaited debut album, Surge, a collection of 17 tracks spanning a vicious 21 minutes.

While grindcore is definitely an apt descriptor, with BAS ROTTEN it would be a mistake to stop there. Surge will definitely please fans of NAPALM DEATH and NASUM, but there’s a little more to it as well. Over the record’s short runtime, the band evoke a range of genres and styles, all of them raucous and blistering. At points, they bring to mind the metallic D-beat of UK hardcore legends DISCHARGE, or the New York hardcore stomp of a band like AGNOSTIC FRONT. At others, and especially on the title track, they exhibit a thrashy SLAYER-esque touch. There are also several moments where the band veer into more blackened hardcore territory, with blast-beats and tremolo-picked riffs.

The band roll all these influences into a single chaotic package for an unsurprisingly wild record. From this, some might expect an oppressive listen, which it is to an extent, but there’s also no denying just how much fun Surge is. With samples from films like Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back, BAS ROTTEN are clearly enjoying themselves on this record. With Surge, the band acknowledge that they “can’t cure the ills of the world.” Instead, they aim to “blast them out of your brain for a little while; unshackle your rage and pulverise your grief.” It’s a noble cause, and one they do a pretty great job of realising.

Admittedly, it can be tough to distinguish between the songs on Surge – they’re all short, savage and abrasive. This is true of a lot of records like this, but there are still some highlights worth mentioning. The 18 second seventh track Primate is one example. It kicks off with a beasty riff, before tearing into a few seconds of blistering grind. Primate isn’t even the shortest track on the record though. That comes two songs later with the 15 second Burnout, which is arguably as NAPALM DEATH as BAS ROTTEN get.

The best track of all however is probably the album’s title track. This one’s a little longer, although it still doesn’t top two minutes (none of the songs on Surge do!) It features blistering blasty sections, crushing thrashy riffs and a big stompy breakdown. Like pretty much every track on the album, it’s sure to have fans going nuts when it’s finally played live. Track 14, Behold, also definitely deserves a shout out. With its gang vocals and heavily blackened touches, the song could even draw comparisons to the likes of THE SECRET.

As is often the case for bands like this, one of the stand-out performers on Surge is BAS ROTTEN’s drummer Eduardo. With blast-beats, double kicks, D-beats and stompy half-time sections, he injects the record with a constant, driving energy.  In fact, the whole band delivers. Singer Joao‘s abrasive vocals aren’t that different to many of the bands BAS ROTTEN draw comparisons too, but they’re a good fit nonetheless. Add to this the fast-paced riffing of the two guitarists, both also named Joao, and bassist Rui‘s low end, and BAS ROTTEN become a tight, energetic unit delivering raw, exciting hardcore. The performances benefit from some great production too, which adds a modern crispness and crush to proceedings.

With a 21 minute runtime, Surge proves that BAS ROTTEN understand the importance of brevity. Rather than risk losing listeners’ interest, the album ends in pretty much perfect time. It’s a short, sweet and wild ride from a band with just one intention – creating chaos. Some may hope for a little more dynamics on future releases, but if BAS ROTTEN want to keep doing this then there’s a world of records out there which prove people will keep coming back.

Rating: 8/10

Surge is out now via Raging Planet (Europe) and To Live A Lie Records (USA).

Like BAS ROTTEN on Facebook.