(Our Norway-based contributor Chile has brought us his first review of 2026, and the subject is the long-awaited debut album by the Croatian extremists Bezdan.)
Where did the time go? Well, that’s not really a rhetorical question. Listmania 2025 started happening and the wheels just seemed to fell off my proverbial writing wagon, so the time mostly went with me pouring over all the published lists and scratching my head at how the hell did I miss this or that album. Nevertheless, as a wise man said once: “Metal is never late, nor is it early. It arrives precisely when it means to”. Or something like that.
As another wise man said once (or twice) on these very pages, it seems like we do spend a lot of our time here at NCS playing catch-up, so here we go once again. This review would have been better suited to have happened around the time of the actual release date of this album back in late November or at least early December, but time is relative anyway, as we are about to find out.
Finally coming around to the actual music part of these ramblings, we are joined today by the desecrating hordes from Croatia, namely Bezdan. Meaning “abyss” in the Croatian language, the band is true to its name and comes forth with a debut album full of abyssal darkness and furious infernal hymns bound to shake your foundations.
Upon the Altar has surely been a long time coming, what with the band being active in one form or the other for well over a decade and previously releasing only a demo and an EP back in 2017. Now with the album seeing the light of the day in late 2025, Bezdan throws us in an instant back to 1985 faster than Doc Brown’s DeLorean. Didn’t we say that time is relative?
Let us elaborate. First thing we need to say is that this album is as old school as it gets. Standing at the very crossroads of early thrash and death sensibilities, it strips away all of the developments in metal since the late ’80s and delivers a punishing blow to the listener eager for some classic high voltage metal action. Charging the line between savage and lethal, the band is constantly holding a dagger close at hand, ready to inflict some serious damage.
Throughout its 34 minutes, Upon the Altar does not let go of its stranglehold on our senses and just pummels us into submission with riff upon riff of dark, ancient madness hearkening back all the way to the origins of these genres. As you can imagine, there are no ballads on this album and the band slows down maybe once or twice for purely dramatic reasons.
A short intro sets the scene for the ensuing ceremonial sacrifice in the form of, well, “Sacrificial Death”, which romps in like some primal slayer snarling and screaming at full speed. Indeed, the rite of death is done, the power from hell has come, as this opening duo seems to serve also as an inspiration for the occult cover art by the talented Daniel Corcuera.
Elsewhere, we enter the void, with metal thrashing mad “Dark Messiah” burning with righteous anger before being swept away by the speed monster of “When Death Becomes Your Life”. The sweet, incessant buzzing of the guitars coupled with a downright feral rhythm section makes these songs so absurdly fun that one cannot stand still while listening.
Reaching the middle part of the album, we storm the gates at “Endless Fields of Bones” and light up the skies with “Hades Knights”, both songs being five-minute lessons in destructive, bludgeoning riffs further showcasing the talents of the guitar duo of Filip Horvat and Tomislav Baranašić (also on vocals).
Finally, in an all too familiar example of leaving the best for last, the concluding trio of songs is where the band really turn the screw, with the blistering high-octane scorcher “Vengeance” leading the way in such a ridiculously catchy, dare I say infectious, manner that is on par with anything released by the classic bands of yore, I kid you not. Just to further prove this point, band then absolutely drop the hammer down with the maniacal “Infernal Howls” and the closing devastation of “Crypts of Ancient”.
In the end, there is no escaping the obvious conclusion that Bezdan have successfully created a rampaging monster of an album that needs to reach as many people as possible and as soon as possible. Late is the hour, maybe, for it to end on some end-year lists, but Upon the Altar deserves your full attention. These are just the type of songs where you need your clothes, your boots, and your motorcycle if you want to stay alive.
Upon the Altar is out now on I Hate Records in all available formats. Orders for the record and all related merchandise are possible via the label and Bandcamp stores.
https://bezdannikaddan.bandcamp.com/album/upon-the-altar
https://ihate.bandcamp.com/album/upon-the-altar
https://www.facebook.com/bezdannikaddan
https://www.instagram.com/bezdan.nikaddan/