Album Review: Besta – John Carpenter Redux (Raging Planet Records)

Portuguese grindcore masters Besta return with ‘John Carpenter Redux’, set for release on October 4th via Raging Planet in an exclusive limited vinyl edition. Originally unleashed in 2013 and mixed by Steve Austin (Today Is The Day), the record has been completely re-mixed and reimagined by the band itself, with long-standing frontman Paulo Rui re-recording all vocals.

Paying homage to the master of horror, John Carpenter Redux is one for the horror and heavy fans. Not just because it comes splattered in blood and because it is a violent slab of grinding intensity, but because it has a raw and angry nature that makes for a tense, but cathartic listen. It might be over twelve years old, but its teeth are still razor sharp.

Hilariously, the opening track is the longest (by some distance) and least ‘grindy’ track of all. Coming in at slightly over four minutes, O Regresso Do Mal’s methodically driven horror riff, rasping vocals, and ever-expanding atmosphere is an interesting start, but a little drawn-out, like a slasher chase that never ends.

Or at least one that takes a while to come to fruition, as in an explosion of viciousness, Estrela Negra arrives and here, we see just what makes Besta special. They’re downright dangerous sounding, seeing mania and ferociousness as targets to beat, but delivering the power in a way that it becomes downright addictive, especially as they consistently shift tempos and change up the heavy formula across the remainder of the album. It’ll keep you guessing, something Carpenter was also very good at.

Assalto À 13ª Esquadra, Cidade Dos Malditos, and O Carro Assassino finish up the first half of the album and do so in relentless fashion. The halfway point of the record marked by a twenty-second blast of chaos called Nova Iorque 1997 which pairs nicely with the dystopian destruction of Fuga De Los Angeles. Snake would be proud.

The John Carpenter links are so cool, and it’s a lot of fun uncovering them, even if the grindcore and punk style of music (and language barrier) makes it hard to discern, if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Yet, even with all of this, there is as cinematic feel to things and no track embodies this better than the excellent, Eles Vivem. The guitar solo in this one will have you fighting in an alley for hours afterwards.

It’s the highlight of the album, and while O Nevoeiro and A Bíblia De Satanás can’t quite match it, both are still enjoyable slices of razor-sharp heaviness and speed. The latter, in particular, is a glowering and grimacing tribute to Prince of Darkness, the beloved Carpenter film. Alongside the finale O Príncipe Das Trevas, which starts and finishes in such devilish fashion, but has the beastliest of middles. It’s very cool.

If you missed this first time around, now’s your chance. It’s well worth the investment, regardless of your thoughts on John Carpenter.

Besta – John Carpenter Redux Track Listing:

1. O Regresso Do Mal
2. Estrela Negra
3. Assalto À 13ª Esquadra
4. Cidade Dos Malditos
5. O Carro Assassino
6. Nova Iorque 1997
7. Fuga De Los Angeles
8. Eles Vivem
9. O Nevoeiro
10. A Bíblia De Satanás
11. O Príncipe Das Trevas

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