The first time you hear it, you might honestly wonder if James Read and Ryan Förster flew straight to Poland and started a new band there—because this is the kind of ruthless assault that leaves no survivors. Think of it as blowing out someone’s brains with a shotgun after swallowing a box of amphetamines or contracting some nuclear fallout disease. There's no cure for this band—just like there wasn’t for Blasphemy, Conqueror, or Revenge. Nearly 15 years old and already hitting the bullseye with their debut Hideous Lord, Blasphemy Rites have firmly planted themselves as one of the best emerging Black/Death Metal bands in Europe. Apparently, aside from the guitarist, none of the other members have appeared in any other bands. But that guitarist—Mscislaw—you might recognize from another class act from Poland: Blaze of Perdition.
Waving the war flag high, the band comes armed with psychotic, rabid vocals (you could even call it Revenge worship) that violate all things sacred, kidnap the angels of your soul, and explode like a demonic warhead in your eardrums with nuclear-sadistic-satanic fury.
Rather than dragging out songs, they’ve chosen to hit fast and hard—12 demolishing tracks mostly 2-3 minutes long + 3 covers (Blasphemy, Sabbat, and Celtic Frost) paying homage to every era of extreme metal. The songs are crafted with black-death metal chaos laced with grindcore, punk, and thrash tendencies, delivered with tempo shifts, manic vocals, and relentless blasts that rip through your sanity. If someone asked what’s the maximum amount of chaos you could fit into half an hour, I’d point to this album.
In a previous review I wrote that Interment's vocalist sounded like he crawled out of a grave to record. Well, here it sounds more like the vocalist escaped a psychiatric ward and ran straight into the studio. Guitars often carry a thrashy tone, and right from the first track, “Bestial Necromancy Sex,” which opens with echoed perversion and ignites a mental overload within one minute, you’re done for. Then comes the 18-second blast “Genocide,” which reeks of grindcore tendencies.
The title track “Hideous Lord” showcases total chaos—crushing tempo shifts, thunderous bass, razor-sharp cymbals, and blistering transitions that all scream sadistic brutality. “Damned Bastard Of Hell” is a one-minute punk-charged assault, while “Apocalyptic War” uses eerie ambiance, freakish tempo changes, and wild rhythms to dish out punishment. It’s as if they’re trying to make you drink Baphomet’s toxic piss—this album is deranged in its vision. One unique element here is how songs morph unexpectedly; black metal turns to grind, which suddenly slips into rock’n’roll or punk segments.
It all wraps up with three covers: Blasphemy’s lesser-covered “Empty Chalice,” Sabbat’s “Satan Bless You,” and Celtic Frost’s “Dethroned Emperor.” What’s impressive is how they tackle each with a stylistically fitting approach: Empty Chalice in raw black-death fashion, Satan Bless You with necro-thrash precision, and Dethroned Emperor staying loyal to its dark origins.
If you want to completely lose your mind to one of 2010’s—and recent years’—most destructive records, give this a go. Personally, I’d place this album among the top 10 to ever come out of Poland. Hideous Lord is a punishing, deranged, torturous record that embodies evil in every sense.