This split took quite a few spins;, it just wasn’t grabbing me. I sat down and gave it another shot toadytoday. Side A is two songs from the Japanese metal band Barbatos. I haven’t really listened to metal consistently since sometime around the late ‘90s. Today I can finally hear it. Barbatos is of the stuff that melts faces. They have screeched and squealed their way into my heart. I had no idea they’ve been putting out recordings since ‘98! Rapegoat opens with an original by the name of “Ass Blood.” It’s what you’d expect of a tune by that name. For their second ditty, they cover Celtic Frost’s “Into the Crypt of Rays.” They play it a little slower and a little simpler but a great cover choice for them. I don’t know how these two bands got hooked up, but it’s a cohesive little split.
–Jackie Rusted (Mystery School Records, mysteryschoolrecords.com)