Devasting and brutal, “Behead The Priest” is the latest blood-soaked single to land from blackened metalpunk act BASTARD CRÖSS. Their forthcoming album, Crossripper, explores a shadowy array of themes from horror movies to violence in religious histories. “Behead The Priest” delves into the latter through an eerie and disquiet assault driven by intense riffs and unforgiving screams.
The band comments on “Behead The Priest”:
“The conclusion of our album, ‘Behead the Priest’ is an anti-Christian hymn where we channel our aggression and animosity towards the violent zealots of the past, present and future. Taking our inspirations from punk and thrash into a dark black metal atmosphere, the song romanticizes blasphemy until it reaches the climax: a somber and solemn acoustic melody, allowing the listeners to feel a sense of a dark reflection, upon oneself, religion, etc. An outro that is written to introduce what comes next in the realm of BASTARD CRÖSS.”
This Halloween, BASTARD CRÖSS will unveil the auditory blasphemy that is their forthcoming album, Crossripper via Morbid and Miserable. The debut full-length has been heavily inspired by horror movies, and historic violence, while musical influences from death, thrash and even a touch of 80s glam metal, manifest through the encroaching gloom.
About BASTARD CRÖSS:
The blasphemous quartet emerged from the crypts in Philadelphia in the grim winter of 2021, releasing their self-titled EP in the same year. This was followed by a Split with BLACK KNIFE in 2022 (released via JEMS), and 2023 saw the arrival of the Beasts of the Night EP and the Faster than the Devil 2 split (released via Wiseblood Records). The upcoming 2025 offering Crossripper (via Morbid and Miserable), sees the band extend even further into the hellish realms of their extreme sound.
BASTARD CRÖSS’ musical influences stem from a menagerie of metallic inspirations from thrash (SLAYER, EXODUS) to black metal (DISSECTION) and punk aggression (ANTI-CIMEX). The band experiment with melodic harmonies layered above loud and dirty riffs. The band’s distinctive edge derives in part from the two vocalists who combine influences from early black and death metal.
BASTARD CRÖSS explain that they combine their “love for classic horror media with black metal, thrash and punk to create intense, aggressive metalpunk splashed with twin vocal attacks, powerful guitar harmonies and crusty bass tones. Our songs can appeal to horror fans, metalheads and punks alike.”
BASTARD CRÖSS is:
Blasphemous Axe (Guitars/Vocals)
Heathen Chevalier (Vocals/Guitars)
Beheader of Priests (Bass)
Infernal Bastard (Drums)
Album Credits:
Producer: BASTARD CRÖSS, Armen Koroghlian
Recording Studio: Red Mausoleum
Engineer: Armen Koroghlian
Mastering: Jamie King
Mixing: Armen Koroghlian
Album Cover Artist: Sandy Rezalmi
Formats: digital, vinyl, CD and tape.
Links:
Bandcamp: https://bastardcross.bandcamp.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bastardcrossphl/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bastardcrossphl
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5kRbRwikUtyBfHlIk9IjYW
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/bastard-cr%C3%B6ss/1624083956
Crossripper Track Listing:
1. Parasitic 3:24
2. Crossripper 4:19
3. Lycan Knights 3:35
4. Headless 4:05
5. Satanic Pandemonium 4:16
6. Sarcophagus 4:50
7. Demons at Midnight 3:47
8. Phantom Pestilence 3:38
9. Behead the Priest 5:34