BASTARD CRÖSS - Crossripper (Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless

This past Halloween, a Philadelphia act that’s been dropping short releases for a few years now came forth with a full-length. Bastard Cröss are an act that take the relatively safe route of blackened thrash, one tough to screw up but also tough to stand out. If the band name didn’t make its style obvious, certainly knowing that the album title is Crossripper will, however, despite seeming rather on the nose, I think there’s a little more to what’s before us. In other words, don’t shy away from what seems like just more of the same on the surface.

Despite the general aesthetic of aggressive artillery baked with speed metal ingredients and harsher vocal shrieks, you also find a healthy amount of defining characteristics with Bastard Cröss. The vocals miraculously stand out well, not only for the addition of death growls and a scratchier sense, but simply with how coarse and grating they sound against the cleaner background. Musically, there isn’t a lot in terms of blasting, tremolos, or atmosphere, opting instead for a cleaner veneer of more straightforward thrash riffs that combine rhythmic strength and a comprehensive finish. Such contrasts in the music and vocals makes for a hell of a combo; this isn’t to say the riffs themselves aren’t mean, but that they’re digestible compared to the frontman’s horrendous outcries.

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Yet, I still find it quite easy to take in what he’s laying out. “Lycan Knights” is one of the strongest tunes on the record, combining vocals almost aligned with Abbath meeting death metal to spit forth nasty but carefully curated lines. “Sarcophagus” absolutely nails the slower crawl feeling in the beginning, and along with “Phantom Pestilence” hold things together by utilizing the blackened musicianship the most, especially with those explosive drumlines and even harsher delivery. Others feel more aimed at some good rotten fun, looking at “Satanic Pandemonium” cracking a cold (beer) balance between competence and not taking itself very seriously. Similarly, “Demons At Midnight“ has strength in its chanted chorus for an earworm effect, and the fun but fitting leads in basically every song seal everything together nicely.
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Stylistically, Crossripper probably isn’t something you’ve not heard before. What separates the good from the great is doing it in a way that keeps me coming back, which this definitely does. It’s rare that such a straightforward style works as a grower, but I mean it when I say I pick up more with each subsequent listen. Fans of Hellripper, Graveripper, Hellbringer…yeah, do you see a pattern here? If this type of thing is for you, you’ll know well enough.

Bastard Cröss - Crossripper was released Oct. 31st, 2025 via Morbid and Miserable Records. Find it here!

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Bastard Cröss can be found at Bandcamp and Facebook
Cover by: Sandy Rezalmi