After all these years, one becomes fond of certain labels due to their output. This is my case with I Hate Records from Sweden. Peter and (formlerly) Ola’s taste really resonate with me. I usually end up liking bands that I had never listened to before thanks to them. Croati’s BEZDAN is one of those bands. With a demo in 2014 and an EP in 2017, “Upon The Altar” is their debut album. And all I can say after my first listen is that I didn’t know I needed this album, but now I know. Their mix of Black, Death and Thrash Metal is amazing. It feels familiar but not as a copy of anything, but a new take on the classic sounds that made the late ’80s and early ’90s so special. If I had received this album in a tape trade, I would’ve been blown away as much as I am now, listening to it for the fourth time (I guess) in a row. But who’s counting? It is just that good and has a lot of what I call “replay value”. The production is simply brilliant. It is organic, mean and punchy. But it also has some reverb-y overall sound that may fit into the early Black / Thrash albums. Maybe the mid range vocal growls from vocalist (and guitarist) Filip Horvart add to that feel with some high pitched early Tom Araya screams that pierced through your head like an icepick. Yet, the riffs scream Death Metal. The band even churns out some blast beat happy parts that get really close to second generation Black Metal. The mix is balanced and every instrument owns its place. I was really surprised about how “open” the album sounds. I would dare say that the mixing engineer added little to no compression. But in the end, “Upon The Altar” hits harder than any modern, overproduced piece of music. Horvart and Tomislav’s riffs are sharp and ill-intended. The bassist (also) Filip fills perfectly the space between the guitars and the drums with a really tight performance. Ivan’s drumming is solid and his tempo is immaculate. I really like how he knows exactly when to put the pedal to the metal and when to let the other instruments hold the songs up. The mastering is really dynamic and it lets the listener go through the whole album tirelessly. This is an album you need right now. It has the perfect blend of extreme Metal and it oozes classic vibes from early works of bands such as SODOM, SLAYER, OBITUARY, etc. They definitely have a lot of influences and they managed to blend them all in such a great way, creating not only stunning music but also their own identity. Because of BEZDAN, the Croatian scene now has my sole attention now. So I am digging in to check other bands. In the meantime, if you call yourself a Metal fan, I urge you to get this album ASAP! I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed! So show the band support at www.facebook.com/bezdannikaddan and get this album from their label www.facebook.com/ihaterecords