Dragged into the pit by Danish death metal. Left humming in the shower.
265 days till W:O:A 2023.
Baest (initially Bæst, which just feels like they’re daring you to pronounce it out loud in public.) are a Danish death metal band formed in 2015, and—as usual—yet another name I hadn’t encountered until this little sonic experiment of mine.
In just under a decade, these cheerful lads have released three studio albums and two EPs, earning themselves a solid fanbase and plenty of critic love in the process. Touring with the likes of Abbath, Decapitated and Hatebreed, they’ve established themselves as a very serious, very loud live band. Good for them. I remain cautiously optimistic about surviving the experience.
Death Metal: Still Not My Thing (But I Keep Trying Anyway)
Right. So. Death metal.
Still the one metal subgenre I can’t quite wrap my soft, melodramatic little brain around. I’ve been trying—honestly, I have. But it remains the musical equivalent of being dragged down a gravel path by a rabid bear.
There’s a whole tangle of subgenres and fusion styles tucked under the death metal umbrella (because of course there is), so I remain hopeful that something in there will eventually click. But for now? Let’s revisit the genre definition, just to really hammer in why I’m struggling:
| "Fast, heavily distorted and low-tuned guitars. Aggressive and powerful drums. Abrupt tempo, key and time signature changes. Death growls. Hoarse roars/snarls. Glamorisation of violence in the lyrics.”
Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
Like being kicked down a flight of stairs, rhythmically.
By someone growling about intestines.
Of all the metal I’ve dabbled in, death metal is by far the most extreme for me. The vocals are right up in your face like they’re trying to punch through your headphones, and the drumming is less "beat" and more "blunt force trauma." It demands full, undivided attention—this is not background music. This is "cancel your afternoon plans" music.
Also: I’m squeamish. Gore and violence don’t really do it for me. I don’t want to hear about surgical tools and exsanguination while I’m just trying to vibe.
Enter: "Goregasm." Yes, Really.
Now, here’s a charming little number with a title that sounds like it was specifically designed to trigger me.
Despite the name—and the lyrics, which I read through my fingers—Goregasm is actually one of my favourites on the album. It’s filthy, it’s slow, it lurches—and when the stomp drops at 1:26, it feels like getting flattened by something with hooves. It’s like the band collectively decided to trample your soul in 4/4 time. I respect that kind of commitment.
The Bit Where It Grew on Me and I Start Questioning Everything
I’ve listened to Necro Sapiens a few times now and, weirdly, it’s grown on me.
The first attempt was exhausting. Like running a marathon blindfolded through a haunted slaughterhouse. I couldn’t make it through the whole thing in one go. But eventually, something shifted. It started making sense. Or at least, it stopped feeling like an assault and started feeling like—structure.
Simon Olsen’s vocals are the star of this gore-soaked show. He nails the death growls, but more importantly, he’s understandable. He enunciates. Clearly. Weirdly clearly. (He teaches history, science, and music. Probably a coincidence.)
Musically, a few tracks lean into doom territory and give you that glorious, stompy groove I can actually follow—Czar, Abbatoir, Goregasm. The latter still feels like it was named to upset me personally, but it stomps hard enough that I’m willing to let it slide. Meanwhile, Meathook Massacre—another delightfully subtle title—is more on the thrashy side.
And then there’s the title track, Necro Sapiens. Absolutely vile. In the best way. It’s ridiculously catchy—humming-it-in-the-shower catchy—which feels like a betrayal. But here we are. If I had to pick favourites (which I clearly do), Necro Sapiens, Goregasm, and Abbatoir are the ones still echoing in my skull long after the album ends.
Will I See Them Live? Of Course I Will. Am I Scared? Absolutely.
Despite everything—and I do mean everything—I’m actually looking forward to seeing Baest live. I fully expect them to be loud, aggressive, and completely relentless. Which, weirdly, is now something I want?
Growth, I guess.