Danish death metal force BAEST have recently announced a next string of headline touring for Europe and the UK in support of their current album “Colossal”.
Here is an overview of all upcoming dates:
BAEST – “Colossal” European and UK Tour 2026: 19.09.2026 Rostock (Germany) – M.A.U. Club 20.09.2026 Berlin (Germany) – Urban Spree 21.09.2026 Dresden (Germany) – HD – Die Rock & Metal Bar 23.09.2026 Prague (Czech Republic) – Modra Vopice 24.09.2026 Budapest (Hungary) – Durer Kert 25.09.2026 Vienna (Austria) – Escape 26.09.2026 Pilsting (Germany) – Metalheadz Village Festival 27.09.2026 Aarau (Switzerland) – KIFF 29.09.2026 Southampton (UK) – Joiners 30.09.2026 Leeds (UK) – The Key Club 01.10.2026 Glasgow (UK) – The Garage Attic 02.10.2026 Belfast (UK) – Ulster Sports Club 03.10.2026 Dublin (Ireland) – Sound House 05.10.2026 Nottingham (UK) – Rough Trade 06.10.2026 Manchester (UK) – Star & Garter 07.10.2026 Birmingham (UK) – The Flapper 08.10.2026 Bristol (UK) – The Croft 09.10.2026 London (UK) – Downstairs at the Dome 10.10.2026 Leiden (The Netherlands) – Metal Experience Fest 11.10.2026 Tilburg (The Netherlands) – Hall of Fame 12.10.2026 Wiesbaden (Germany) – Schlachthof 13.10.2026 Kassel (Germany) – Goldgrube 14.10.2026 Cologne (Germany) – Helios 37 16.10.2026 Kortrijk (Belgium) – DVG Club 17.10.2026 Hamburg (Germany) – Betty
BAEST have also announced an extensive Danish headline tour for November as follows:
The Aarhus/Denmark-based five-piece continue to build momentum following the release of their latest album “Colossal”, which has further cemented their reputation as one of Scandinavia’s most exciting modern death metal acts. Known for their explosive live performances, BAEST have played more than 400 shows worldwide and shared stages with artists including Arch Enemy, Abbath, Bleed From Within and Entombed A.D.
Danish death metal commando BAEST is now celebrating the release of its fourth studio album, ‘Colossal,’ which is out today, August 15, 2025, via Century Media Records! The band is also now sharing a visualizer with animation by Frederik Birn for the album’s closing track, “Depraved World,” which can be found at THIS LOCATION,
BAEST comments, “Lo and behold! Our new album ‘Colossal’ is out now. We’re proud of this one and we’ve been working hard to reach this outcome. And the title says it all – it’s grandiose, it’s epic and it’s COLOSSAL!”
Produced by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio (Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Haunted, etc.), the album contains nine tracks across 42 minutes, including the already released singles “Colossus” and “Imp Of The Perverse,” as well as an upcoming single with guest vocal features by Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun.”
‘Colossal’ is now available to order, stream, or download HERE.
The album’s artwork was created by Solomacello and can be found below along with the tracklisting.
Depraved World (06:04) [WATCH] Total running time: 00:42:27
Artwork by Solomacello
Are you ready to rock? Something colossal is coming…
Baest are back, with a new sound and a badass attitude. Over the last decade, the Danish quintet have become one of the most celebrated and respected death metal bands in Europe. Their reign of terror began with debut album Danse Macabre, which emerged to great acclaim in 2019. Since then, the Danes have been relentless. Subsequent albums Venenum (2019) and Necro Sapiens (2021) cemented their reputation as extreme metal mavericks with an ear for lethal hooks, while their passionate dedication to playing live enabled them to spread the word at shows and festivals around the world.
But things are slightly changing with album number 4: Colossal. Pieced together in the aftermath of Covid lockdowns, and fine-tuned over the last couple of years, the new Baest album is an absolute monster. The new songs are still rooted in the belligerent death metal that informed previous records, but Colossal represents a wholesale transformation. Inspired by and infused with old school, classic metal riffs and a giant helping of rock ‘n’ roll bombast, Baest have written an album that delights in the glory of heavy metal and the fine art of rocking out. Bursting at the seams with catchy riffs and classy melodies, with stylistic salutes to everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Dokken, through to Iron Maiden and Whitesnake, this is the magnificent rock ‘n’ roll rebirth of Baest.
“We went on tour with the Krisiun guys a couple of years back, and every soundcheck they were playing ZZ Top songs,” says Baest guitarist Svend Karlsson. “Everyone in the venue was rocking out, you know? So let’s rock! As a band, you have to mature a little and figure out that you have to write songs for yourself, and that way of thinking has brought the best out of us. When we talked to Tue about it, we called it ‘Ozzy death metal’. It’s really exciting to see what people think. We’re looking forward to people hearing this album. We released two singles last year that were in a different direction, but the fans haven’t heard the Dokken stuff yet! [Laughs]”
From the explosive assault of the opening Stormbringer, the new Baest album is an electrifying dose of the good stuff. Produced by the legendary Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio in Denmark, Colossal never bends to current trends. Instead, this is a thrilling celebration of heavy metal, played with extreme metal intensity. Vocalist Simon Olsen has evolved into a truly formidable frontman, with a vastly expanded array of shouts and growls, and his band mates – Karlsson, guitarist Lasse Revsbech, bassist Mattias Melchiorsen and drummer Sebastian Abildsten – have grown in power and stature. As Karlsson explains, this change of direction was simply about Baest being true to themselves.
“We began the process during Covid, and we found out that we needed to do something that everyone thought was fun,” he states. “Then we tried to zoom in on what makes different songs fun. On the first EP, before we signed to Century Media, there is a lot of melodic rock ‘n’ roll stuff. I think it’s there because we hadn’t learned yet to do more death metal riffs, so those were the riffs that Lasse and I had from our upbringing. This time, we turned back to all of those kinds of riffs, being influenced by Zakk Wylde and Jake E. Lee, Accept, Metallica and all that kind of stuff. We figured that if it’s fun and we enjoy playing it, then it’s going to fit! We finally had the guts to try it, and not to worry about what the death metal fans are going to think.”
Although they may anticipate a backlash from death metal purists, Baest are confident that their evolution will be well received. With songs ranging from the anthemic ‘80s metal fury of the title track, and the brutal rock squall of King Of The Sun (featuring a cameo from D-A-D’s Jesper Binzer), to the progressive, true metal avalanche of epic closer Depraved World, Colossal takes Baest back to the essence of their craft.
“When we wrote Depraved World, that’s a riff from when Lasse was 14 years old,” says Karlsson. “He said, ‘I’ve got this riff!’ and we were like, ‘Let’s do an Iron Maiden death metal song!’ [Laughs] It’s so much fun, because it’s long and so different. The headline for the whole album is that it’s different, it’s catchy, and it’s rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll vibes, but in the aggressive form of extreme metal. This is our first time working with Tue Madsen, and he’s a no-bullshit kind of guy. He’s been in the industry for so many records and with so many different bands, so he’s like, ‘Fuck what people think! Let’s do what seems fun and what sounds catchy!’”
2024 saw the release of two singles from Colossal: the viciously catchy Imp Of The Perverse, and the aforementioned Colossus. Both were rapturously received, and generated a lot of excitement about Baest’s next move. Now that they have the new music in the can, Svend Karlsson and his comrades are brimming with confidence and commitment to the heavy metal cause. Armed with songs that are guaranteed to send metal crowds into a joyous frenzy, Denmark’s smartest death metal band are perfectly placed to conquer the entire world.
“I think we needed to figure out that we were okay with being a heavy metal band,” Karlsson shrugs. “There are also a lot of progressive elements to the record, that we started developing on the Justitia EP. That’s when we realised that it works live, and people really like the Ozzy riffs! So let’s do some more! We played a new, unreleased song on the last tour. Nobody had heard it before, but instantly everyone started clapping along and jumping and having fun. Everybody wants to party, right?”
BAEST line-up: Svend Karlsson – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Simon Olsen – Vocals Lasse Revsbech – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Sebastian Abildsten – Drums & Percussion Mattias ‘Muddi’ Melchiorsen – Bass
Production: Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio
Special Guests: Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun” ORM on “Misfortunate Son”
Danish death metal commando BAEST will be unleashing its fourth studio album, ‘Colossal,’ on August 15, 2025 via Century Media Records! The band is now sharing the latest single from the offering, “Stormbringer,” along with a music video that features a raw and fun look behind the scenes of the band’s recent tour across North America in support of Arch Enemy! The footage was collected by the band during the trek while it was edited and assembled by Christian Constantin Pontoppidan / Impuls Film. “Stormbringer” can be seen and heard at THIS LOCATION.
The band comments on the track, “Like a distant rumble, the ominous, almost AC/DC intro riff predicts a gathering storm with a lightning strike as the thunderous bas drums kick in. Our new single, ‘Stormbringer,’ lays the foundation for ‘Colossal,’ bringing rock’n’roll and death metal together in a grandiose and almost destroying storm. Consider this a harbinger it is the ‘Stormbringer.'”
Produced by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio (Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Haunted, etc.), the album contains nine tracks across 42 minutes, including the already released singles “Colossus” and “Imp Of The Perverse,” as well as an upcoming single with guest vocal features by Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun.”
Depraved World (06:04) Total running time: 00:42:27
Artwork by Solomacello
Are you ready to rock? Something colossal is coming…
Baest are back, with a new sound and a badass attitude. Over the last decade, the Danish quintet have become one of the most celebrated and respected death metal bands in Europe. Their reign of terror began with debut album Danse Macabre, which emerged to great acclaim in 2019. Since then, the Danes have been relentless. Subsequent albums Venenum (2019) and Necro Sapiens (2021) cemented their reputation as extreme metal mavericks with an ear for lethal hooks, while their passionate dedication to playing live enabled them to spread the word at shows and festivals around the world.
But things are slightly changing with album number 4: Colossal. Pieced together in the aftermath of Covid lockdowns, and fine-tuned over the last couple of years, the new Baest album is an absolute monster. The new songs are still rooted in the belligerent death metal that informed previous records, but Colossal represents a wholesale transformation. Inspired by and infused with old school, classic metal riffs and a giant helping of rock ‘n’ roll bombast, Baest have written an album that delights in the glory of heavy metal and the fine art of rocking out. Bursting at the seams with catchy riffs and classy melodies, with stylistic salutes to everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Dokken, through to Iron Maiden and Whitesnake, this is the magnificent rock ‘n’ roll rebirth of Baest.
“We went on tour with the Krisiun guys a couple of years back, and every soundcheck they were playing ZZ Top songs,” says Baest guitarist Svend Karlsson. “Everyone in the venue was rocking out, you know? So let’s rock! As a band, you have to mature a little and figure out that you have to write songs for yourself, and that way of thinking has brought the best out of us. When we talked to Tue about it, we called it ‘Ozzy death metal’. It’s really exciting to see what people think. We’re looking forward to people hearing this album. We released two singles last year that were in a different direction, but the fans haven’t heard the Dokken stuff yet! [Laughs]”
From the explosive assault of the opening Stormbringer, the new Baest album is an electrifying dose of the good stuff. Produced by the legendary Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio in Denmark, Colossal never bends to current trends. Instead, this is a thrilling celebration of heavy metal, played with extreme metal intensity. Vocalist Simon Olsen has evolved into a truly formidable frontman, with a vastly expanded array of shouts and growls, and his band mates – Karlsson, guitarist Lasse Revsbech, bassist Mattias Melchiorsen and drummer Sebastian Abildsten – have grown in power and stature. As Karlsson explains, this change of direction was simply about Baest being true to themselves.
“We began the process during Covid, and we found out that we needed to do something that everyone thought was fun,” he states. “Then we tried to zoom in on what makes different songs fun. On the first EP, before we signed to Century Media, there is a lot of melodic rock ‘n’ roll stuff. I think it’s there because we hadn’t learned yet to do more death metal riffs, so those were the riffs that Lasse and I had from our upbringing. This time, we turned back to all of those kinds of riffs, being influenced by Zakk Wylde and Jake E. Lee, Accept, Metallica and all that kind of stuff. We figured that if it’s fun and we enjoy playing it, then it’s going to fit! We finally had the guts to try it, and not to worry about what the death metal fans are going to think.”
Although they may anticipate a backlash from death metal purists, Baest are confident that their evolution will be well received. With songs ranging from the anthemic ‘80s metal fury of the title track, and the brutal rock squall of King Of The Sun (featuring a cameo from D-A-D’s Jesper Binzer), to the progressive, true metal avalanche of epic closer Depraved World, Colossal takes Baest back to the essence of their craft.
“When we wrote Depraved World, that’s a riff from when Lasse was 14 years old,” says Karlsson. “He said, ‘I’ve got this riff!’ and we were like, ‘Let’s do an Iron Maiden death metal song!’ [Laughs] It’s so much fun, because it’s long and so different. The headline for the whole album is that it’s different, it’s catchy, and it’s rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll vibes, but in the aggressive form of extreme metal. This is our first time working with Tue Madsen, and he’s a no-bullshit kind of guy. He’s been in the industry for so many records and with so many different bands, so he’s like, ‘Fuck what people think! Let’s do what seems fun and what sounds catchy!’”
2024 saw the release of two singles from Colossal: the viciously catchy Imp Of The Perverse, and the aforementioned Colossus. Both were rapturously received, and generated a lot of excitement about Baest’s next move. Now that they have the new music in the can, Svend Karlsson and his comrades are brimming with confidence and commitment to the heavy metal cause. Armed with songs that are guaranteed to send metal crowds into a joyous frenzy, Denmark’s smartest death metal band are perfectly placed to conquer the entire world.
“I think we needed to figure out that we were okay with being a heavy metal band,” Karlsson shrugs. “There are also a lot of progressive elements to the record, that we started developing on the Justitia EP. That’s when we realised that it works live, and people really like the Ozzy riffs! So let’s do some more! We played a new, unreleased song on the last tour. Nobody had heard it before, but instantly everyone started clapping along and jumping and having fun. Everybody wants to party, right?”
BAEST line-up: Svend Karlsson – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Simon Olsen – Vocals Lasse Revsbech – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Sebastian Abildsten – Drums & Percussion Mattias ‘Muddi’ Melchiorsen – Bass
Production: Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio
Special Guests: Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun” ORM on “Misfortunate Son”
Danish death metal commando BAEST will be unleashing its fourth studio album, ‘Colossal,’ on August 15, 2025 via Century Media Records! To celebrate the upcoming offering, the band is now sharing a raucous new single, “King Of The Sun (feat. Jesper Binzer of D-A-D),” which can be found along with an official music video that was directed by Johan Nagstrup and Christian Constantin Pontoppidan at THIS LOCATION.
BAEST comments on “King Of The Sun” and their collaboration with D-A-D’s Jesper Binzer: “Our new single ‘King Of The Sun’ carries on in the rock vein of ‘Misfortunate Son,’ but adding our signature death metal to the mix, and bringing even more rock ‘n’ roll styles to the table. We’ve been fortunate to be able to bring in Jesper Binzer (D-A-D) – a rock legend, and a dream collab for BAEST. Jesper adds a totally new flavour to the BAEST sound, and pushes us to unexplored territory.”
Produced by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio (Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Haunted, etc.), the album contains nine tracks across 42 minutes, including the already released singles “Colossus” and “Imp Of The Perverse,” as well as an upcoming single with guest vocal features by Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun.”
Depraved World (06:04) Total running time: 00:42:27
Artwork by Solomacello
Are you ready to rock? Something colossal is coming…
Baest are back, with a new sound and a badass attitude. Over the last decade, the Danish quintet have become one of the most celebrated and respected death metal bands in Europe. Their reign of terror began with debut album Danse Macabre, which emerged to great acclaim in 2019. Since then, the Danes have been relentless. Subsequent albums Venenum (2019) and Necro Sapiens (2021) cemented their reputation as extreme metal mavericks with an ear for lethal hooks, while their passionate dedication to playing live enabled them to spread the word at shows and festivals around the world.
But things are slightly changing with album number 4: Colossal. Pieced together in the aftermath of Covid lockdowns, and fine-tuned over the last couple of years, the new Baest album is an absolute monster. The new songs are still rooted in the belligerent death metal that informed previous records, but Colossal represents a wholesale transformation. Inspired by and infused with old school, classic metal riffs and a giant helping of rock ‘n’ roll bombast, Baest have written an album that delights in the glory of heavy metal and the fine art of rocking out. Bursting at the seams with catchy riffs and classy melodies, with stylistic salutes to everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Dokken, through to Iron Maiden and Whitesnake, this is the magnificent rock ‘n’ roll rebirth of Baest.
“We went on tour with the Krisiun guys a couple of years back, and every soundcheck they were playing ZZ Top songs,” says Baest guitarist Svend Karlsson. “Everyone in the venue was rocking out, you know? So let’s rock! As a band, you have to mature a little and figure out that you have to write songs for yourself, and that way of thinking has brought the best out of us. When we talked to Tue about it, we called it ‘Ozzy death metal’. It’s really exciting to see what people think. We’re looking forward to people hearing this album. We released two singles last year that were in a different direction, but the fans haven’t heard the Dokken stuff yet! [Laughs]”
From the explosive assault of the opening Stormbringer, the new Baest album is an electrifying dose of the good stuff. Produced by the legendary Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio in Denmark, Colossal never bends to current trends. Instead, this is a thrilling celebration of heavy metal, played with extreme metal intensity. Vocalist Simon Olsen has evolved into a truly formidable frontman, with a vastly expanded array of shouts and growls, and his band mates – Karlsson, guitarist Lasse Revsbech, bassist Mattias Melchiorsen and drummer Sebastian Abildsten – have grown in power and stature. As Karlsson explains, this change of direction was simply about Baest being true to themselves.
“We began the process during Covid, and we found out that we needed to do something that everyone thought was fun,” he states. “Then we tried to zoom in on what makes different songs fun. On the first EP, before we signed to Century Media, there is a lot of melodic rock ‘n’ roll stuff. I think it’s there because we hadn’t learned yet to do more death metal riffs, so those were the riffs that Lasse and I had from our upbringing. This time, we turned back to all of those kinds of riffs, being influenced by Zakk Wylde and Jake E. Lee, Accept, Metallica and all that kind of stuff. We figured that if it’s fun and we enjoy playing it, then it’s going to fit! We finally had the guts to try it, and not to worry about what the death metal fans are going to think.”
Although they may anticipate a backlash from death metal purists, Baest are confident that their evolution will be well received. With songs ranging from the anthemic ‘80s metal fury of the title track, and the brutal rock squall of King Of The Sun (featuring a cameo from D-A-D’s Jesper Binzer), to the progressive, true metal avalanche of epic closer Depraved World, Colossal takes Baest back to the essence of their craft.
“When we wrote Depraved World, that’s a riff from when Lasse was 14 years old,” says Karlsson. “He said, ‘I’ve got this riff!’ and we were like, ‘Let’s do an Iron Maiden death metal song!’ [Laughs] It’s so much fun, because it’s long and so different. The headline for the whole album is that it’s different, it’s catchy, and it’s rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll vibes, but in the aggressive form of extreme metal. This is our first time working with Tue Madsen, and he’s a no-bullshit kind of guy. He’s been in the industry for so many records and with so many different bands, so he’s like, ‘Fuck what people think! Let’s do what seems fun and what sounds catchy!’”
2024 saw the release of two singles from Colossal: the viciously catchy Imp Of The Perverse, and the aforementioned Colossus. Both were rapturously received, and generated a lot of excitement about Baest’s next move. Now that they have the new music in the can, Svend Karlsson and his comrades are brimming with confidence and commitment to the heavy metal cause. Armed with songs that are guaranteed to send metal crowds into a joyous frenzy, Denmark’s smartest death metal band are perfectly placed to conquer the entire world.
“I think we needed to figure out that we were okay with being a heavy metal band,” Karlsson shrugs. “There are also a lot of progressive elements to the record, that we started developing on the Justitia EP. That’s when we realised that it works live, and people really like the Ozzy riffs! So let’s do some more! We played a new, unreleased song on the last tour. Nobody had heard it before, but instantly everyone started clapping along and jumping and having fun. Everybody wants to party, right?”
BAEST line-up: Svend Karlsson – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Simon Olsen – Vocals Lasse Revsbech – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Sebastian Abildsten – Drums & Percussion Mattias ‘Muddi’ Melchiorsen – Bass
Production: Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio
Special Guests: Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun” ORM on “Misfortunate Son”
Danish death metal commando BAEST will be unleashing its fourth studio album, ‘Colossal,’ on August 15, 2025 via Century Media Records! To celebrate the upcoming offering, the band is now sharing the crushing new single, “Misfortunate Son (feat. ORM),” which can be found along with an official music video created by Moshmallows at THIS LOCATION.
Produced by Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio (Heaven Shall Burn, The Black Dahlia Murder, The Haunted, etc.), the album contains nine tracks across 42 minutes, including the already released singles “Colossus” and “Imp Of The Perverse,” as well as an upcoming single with guest vocal features by Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun.”
BAEST explains about the “Colossal” album and the band’s current activities as follows: “Paying homage to the heavy metal roots of our music, we wanted to incorporate fast, classic and rocking riffs. This album showcases our passion for melody and a new direction for our death metal. Keeping the energy of former releases and adding new flavours to the inferno, ‘Colossal’ stands out as an honest, original and exciting release. Recording it over the course of 2 years at Antfarm Studio with Tue Madsen has been a different but exciting process, leaving a lot of space in between material released off the album, with the two first singles ‘Colossus’ and ‘Imp Of The Perverse’ being almost a year old by now. We found that giving songs more time to grow felt right, and we also had to reinvent our own style and sound in that process, which leads to our satisfaction with ‘Colossal’ – it’s a broad album sound wise, and we feel this is the essence of BAEST. Playing some of the new tracks live on our recent tour with Danish rock legends D-A-D was helpful in cementing the appeal of the new tracks and helped us finish the album recordings between those shows. Next up, we embark on our first ever U.S./North America run supporting Arch Enemy, and we are following this tour up with a ton of European festivals. This will be the perfect platform to show the new material and get feedback from the fans – see you on the road!”
Adds BAEST about the new song: “‘Misfortunate Son’ is the newest single release from our upcoming 4th album ‘Colossal.’ Recorded at Antfarm Studio with Tue Madsen (The Haunted, Heaven Shall Burn, Meshuggah), it brings forth a blend of melody and brutality. The song showcases our passion for classic heavy metal riffing while incorporating the signature catchiness we always strive for with BAEST! We brought our Danish heroes ORM to add some eerie vocals, contributing a darker mood to the track…”
In addition, BAEST will be laying waste to North America next week for the first time ever as they embark on the “Blood Dynasty” tour in support of Arch Enemy w/ Fit For An Autopsy and Thrown Into Exile! The band will launch their destruction in San Diego, CA next week, on April 15, and will batter audiences across the continent through May 10 in Stroudsburg, PA. The full itinerary can be found below while tickets can be found HERE.
BAEST North American Tour Dates (supporting Arch Enemy w/ Fit For An Autopsy + Thrown Into Exile):
04/14: San Diego, CA @ Observatory Northpark 04/15: Los Angeles, CA @ The Wiltern 04/16: San Francisco, CA @ The Regency Ballroom 04/18: Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom 04/19: Seattle, WA @ Showbox 04/20: Vancouver, BC @ The Pearl 04/22: Edmonton, AB @ Union Hall 04/23: Calgary, AB @ The MacEwan Hall 04/25: Salt Lake City, UT @ The Complex 04/26: Denver, CO @ Summit 04/28: Minneapolis, MN @ The Fillmore 04/29: Chicago, IL @ The Vic Theater 04/30: Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Music Hall 05/02: New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square 05/03: Worcester, MA @ The Palladium 05/05: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of The Living Art 05/06: Silver Spring, MD @ The Fillmore 05/08: Montreal, QC @ L’Olympia 05/09: Toronto, ON @ Queen Elizabeth Theater 05/10: Stroudsburg, PA @ The Sherman Theater
Are you ready to rock? Something colossal is coming…
Baest are back, with a new sound and a badass attitude. Over the last decade, the Danish quintet have become one of the most celebrated and respected death metal bands in Europe. Their reign of terror began with debut album Danse Macabre, which emerged to great acclaim in 2019. Since then, the Danes have been relentless. Subsequent albums Venenum (2019) and Necro Sapiens (2021) cemented their reputation as extreme metal mavericks with an ear for lethal hooks, while their passionate dedication to playing live enabled them to spread the word at shows and festivals around the world.
But things are slightly changing with album number 4: Colossal. Pieced together in the aftermath of Covid lockdowns, and fine-tuned over the last couple of years, the new Baest album is an absolute monster. The new songs are still rooted in the belligerent death metal that informed previous records, but Colossal represents a wholesale transformation. Inspired by and infused with old school, classic metal riffs and a giant helping of rock ‘n’ roll bombast, Baest have written an album that delights in the glory of heavy metal and the fine art of rocking out. Bursting at the seams with catchy riffs and classy melodies, with stylistic salutes to everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Dokken, through to Iron Maiden and Whitesnake, this is the magnificent rock ‘n’ roll rebirth of Baest.
“We went on tour with the Krisiun guys a couple of years back, and every soundcheck they were playing ZZ Top songs,” says Baest guitarist Svend Karlsson. “Everyone in the venue was rocking out, you know? So let’s rock! As a band, you have to mature a little and figure out that you have to write songs for yourself, and that way of thinking has brought the best out of us. When we talked to Tue about it, we called it ‘Ozzy death metal’. It’s really exciting to see what people think. We’re looking forward to people hearing this album. We released two singles last year that were in a different direction, but the fans haven’t heard the Dokken stuff yet! [Laughs]”
From the explosive assault of the opening Stormbringer, the new Baest album is an electrifying dose of the good stuff. Produced by the legendary Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio in Denmark, Colossal never bends to current trends. Instead, this is a thrilling celebration of heavy metal, played with extreme metal intensity. Vocalist Simon Olsen has evolved into a truly formidable frontman, with a vastly expanded array of shouts and growls, and his band mates – Karlsson, guitarist Lasse Revsbech, bassist Mattias Melchiorsen and drummer Sebastian Abildsten – have grown in power and stature. As Karlsson explains, this change of direction was simply about Baest being true to themselves.
“We began the process during Covid, and we found out that we needed to do something that everyone thought was fun,” he states. “Then we tried to zoom in on what makes different songs fun. On the first EP, before we signed to Century Media, there is a lot of melodic rock ‘n’ roll stuff. I think it’s there because we hadn’t learned yet to do more death metal riffs, so those were the riffs that Lasse and I had from our upbringing. This time, we turned back to all of those kinds of riffs, being influenced by Zakk Wylde and Jake E. Lee, Accept, Metallica and all that kind of stuff. We figured that if it’s fun and we enjoy playing it, then it’s going to fit! We finally had the guts to try it, and not to worry about what the death metal fans are going to think.”
Although they may anticipate a backlash from death metal purists, Baest are confident that their evolution will be well received. With songs ranging from the anthemic ‘80s metal fury of the title track, and the brutal rock squall of King Of The Sun (featuring a cameo from D-A-D’s Jesper Binzer), to the progressive, true metal avalanche of epic closer Depraved World, Colossal takes Baest back to the essence of their craft.
“When we wrote Depraved World, that’s a riff from when Lasse was 14 years old,” says Karlsson. “He said, ‘I’ve got this riff!’ and we were like, ‘Let’s do an Iron Maiden death metal song!’ [Laughs] It’s so much fun, because it’s long and so different. The headline for the whole album is that it’s different, it’s catchy, and it’s rock ‘n’ roll. Rock ‘n’ roll vibes, but in the aggressive form of extreme metal. This is our first time working with Tue Madsen, and he’s a no-bullshit kind of guy. He’s been in the industry for so many records and with so many different bands, so he’s like, ‘Fuck what people think! Let’s do what seems fun and what sounds catchy!’”
2024 saw the release of two singles from Colossal: the viciously catchy Imp Of The Perverse, and the aforementioned Colossus. Both were rapturously received, and generated a lot of excitement about Baest’s next move. Now that they have the new music in the can, Svend Karlsson and his comrades are brimming with confidence and commitment to the heavy metal cause. Armed with songs that are guaranteed to send metal crowds into a joyous frenzy, Denmark’s smartest death metal band are perfectly placed to conquer the entire world.
“I think we needed to figure out that we were okay with being a heavy metal band,” Karlsson shrugs. “There are also a lot of progressive elements to the record, that we started developing on the Justitia EP. That’s when we realised that it works live, and people really like the Ozzy riffs! So let’s do some more! We played a new, unreleased song on the last tour. Nobody had heard it before, but instantly everyone started clapping along and jumping and having fun. Everybody wants to party, right?”
BAEST line-up: Svend Karlsson – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Simon Olsen – Vocals Lasse Revsbech – Rhythm/Lead Guitar Sebastian Abildsten – Drums & Percussion Mattias ‘Muddi’ Melchiorsen – Bass
Production: Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studio
Special Guests: Jesper Binzer of D-A-D on “King Of The Sun” ORM on “Misfortunate Son”
BAEST are sharing an ominous vision about their new song, “Imp of the Perverse”: “Our second single shows the dark sides of the human soul. It combines the heavy grooves with catchy rock melodies which forces the listener to both bang and boogie. It’s unreason, it’s chaos, it’s the ‘Imp of the Perverse’.”
The video was and edited / directed by Jakob Printzlau and filmed by Theis Mortensen and Martin Hagge during two very special shows headlining shows in Aarhus and Copenhagen that the band played in March of 2024:
Looking back the band is still buzzing about seeing so many smiling faces who came to party with them: “We broke the record for the largest sold-out headlining shows any Danish death metal band has ever played. Thank you to everyone who came out to support us and helped to make this become a reality. We love you all…”
In November BAEST are set to embark on their “Beast Against Beast” European co-headline tour together with Benighted. Special guests will be Coffin Feeder. BAEST state: “In the fall of 2024 we will return to the European roads wreaking havoc with a colossus of a co-headline tour: We will bring the BAESTfactor as you know it with an energetic heavy metal show with both oldies, goldies and maybe some fresh tunes. We’re teaming up with French brutal deathgrinders Benighted and Belgium blasters from Coffin Feeder. We can’t wait to get back on the road! See ya,”
Kimmo Kuusniemi’s ASA unveil the long-overdue release of "Collective Failure" + first music video for title-track! Check it out and stay tuned for more news! Click image to watch the video
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Visionary artist KIMMO KUUSNIEMI's ANCIENT STREAMING ASSEMBLY (ASA) have released “Aurora Nuclearis”, a powerful 12-minute audiovisual experience, dedicated to the Late Keyboardist Esa Kotilainen. - Click image to watch the video
Click image to watch the video
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