Barbarian Swords is a band from Spain, dedicated to blasting out a brutal blend of doom and black metal. That does indeed mean: ferocious blast beats, skull slashing riffs and vocals straight from the guts of hell. The slaughter begins early in opener 'I Am Your Demise', which -by the way- is a damn promising title, perfectly covering the load. From then on, the music rages on and on and suddenly, somewhere during 'Pure Demonology', I'm reminded of Dimmu Borgir's best works.
'Christian Worms' shows some more of the doom side of this band, being a slow but venomous piece of metal. Yet, as we have seen many time before, slow doesn't mean less intense. In my opinion, this song can easily compete with the doomed masterminds of today, like Yob or Conan, even with those eerie, blackened screams. Yet, it isn't my favorite song here. That honor goes to follower 'Total Nihilism'. Yep, another highly promising and fitting title.
Even though this is a blend of doom and black metal, I can't help but think about acts like Bolt Thrower and other old school death metal acts. The music has a similar raunchy sound and titles like 'The Last Virgin On Earth, Sodomized', 'Carnivorous Pussy' or 'Ultrasado Bloodbath' showcase a sick scenery in which this kind of extremism truly thrives. So yes, this is one murderous piece of work.
The verdict? Well, if you're into extreme metal, you really want to check it out. On 'Worms', Barbarian Swords drag the best parts of their influences into their music. The end result is a massive album, as old school as it is modern and as suffocating as it is immersive. No wonder this thing comes highly recommended. So check it out, play it loud and join me in hoping Barbarian Swords will soon tour Europe with this stuff.
​Serge