Review
Blackrat
Whiskey and Blasphemy

Xnihilo Records (2013) Eli Zeger

Blackrat – Whiskey and Blasphemy cover artwork
Blackrat – Whiskey and Blasphemy — Xnihilo Records, 2013

Whiskey and Blasphemy (Xnihilo Records), the 11-song debut album from Canadian trio Blackrat, is a grittily produced 28 minutes of totes gnarly extreme metal. Like holy metalheads Aura Noir and SodomBlackrat combines the Satanic themes and rawness of black metal with the speedy guitars of thrash metal, resulting in some good ol’ black/thrash crossover.

The blast-beats, violent vocal screams, and hardcore guitars make Whiskey and Blasphemy insanely moshable. The album starts off with the unmerciful instrumental “Invocation of the Horned Rat;” that title alone sends chills down my back. “Armageddon Slut” comes in a little under half-way through the album. It’s two minutes of lo-fi metal packed with awesome guitar solos. The brutality of drummer Russell Shanahan is most prominent on “Night of the Goat” - which I was slam dancing to in my bedroom.

As cool as Blackrat is, I’m gonna be honest: black metal is kinda cheesy. Sure, worshipping Lucifer and sacrificing animals seems rad at first, but after a while, those themes become pretty boring and generic. I know Blackrat uses Satanism to be tongue-in-cheek, but they can be tongue-in-cheek in unique ways. For example, they could change their song “Acid Attack” to “Stay Away From Acid” to promote chemical safety. I’m just tossing around ideas here, but I think you understand what I’m rambling on about.

Blackrat – Whiskey and Blasphemy cover artwork
Blackrat – Whiskey and Blasphemy — Xnihilo Records, 2013

Recently-posted album reviews

Økse

Økse
Backwoodz Recordz (2024)

Økse is a gathering of brilliant, creative minds. The project's roster is pristine, with avant-jazz phenoms Mette Rasmussen on saxophone, Savannah Harris on drums, and Petter Eldh on bass/synths/samplers joining electronic artist and multidisciplinery extraordinaire Val Jeanty (of the fantastic Turning Jewels Into Water project.) The result is a multi-faceted work that stands on top of multiple sonic pillars, as … Read more

Final

What We Don't See
Room40 (2024)

Justin K. Broadrick's prolific output keeps giving, and may it never stop! The latest release is one of Broadrick's earliest projects, Final, which started in the power electronics tradition but since its resurrection in the early '90s, it is solidly standing in the ambient realm. Final's new full-length What We Don't See continues on the same trajectory, relishing drone's minimalistic … Read more

Bambies

Snotty Angels
Spaghetty Town Records, Wanda Records (2024)

The digital files I’ve been listening to as I write this review are all tagged to begin with the band name, e.g. “Bambies Teenage Night,” “Bambies Love Bite,” etc. It seems like a fitting metaphor. The Bambies play the kind of Ramones-adjacent garage-punk that’s often self-referential and in on their own joke. The Bambies play leather jacket-clad, straight-forward punky songs … Read more