Brat – Manslayer
Release Date: 25th September 2026
Label: Prosthetic Records
Bandcamp
Genre: Death Metal, Powerviolence, Grindcore.
FFO: Escuela Grind, Pest Control, ACxDC.
Review By: Jeff Finch
By virtually every known metric and definition, I am not a brat. And that includes the focus of today’s review, Brat. Prior to this album, the band wasn’t ever on my radar, and that’s simply due to never having heard of them. A quick Google search and I was already sold, and the band reaffirmed my belief with this ass-beater of an album, Manslayer.
First and foremost, you’d never know these vocals weren’t done by a dude in the game for a long time, vocalist Liz Selfish an absolute monster behind the mic. The deep growling, the sheer hostility and unrepentant rage spewing from her mouth, the throaty rasp – she does not pull any punches in her delivery, and it makes their “bimbocore” aesthetic all the more appealing. Who doesn’t love some bright shades of pink belying the aggression contained beneath the surface? Rhetorical question, you should all like it. But I digress. The complete and utter lack of clean singing makes the album just that more punishing, the band rarely letting up save for the interludes, the focus on the disgustingly low bass opening the track Heretic Burning that transitions splendidly into an all-out groove fest that would make Max Cavalera (ex Sepultura) proud, and moments where samples are thrown in to ratchet up the building tension, perfect example being the opening of Bone Spurs. These brief moments are entertaining as hell because, as a listener, there’s only a vague understanding of what’s coming: something heavy. Whether they decide to go grind, straight up death metal, or a combo thrown in with some powerviolence, only the band knows, as we await with bated breath.
Musically the band is clearly firing on all cylinders, the guitar as punchy as a fist through drywall (which may very well be the theme), that bass rumbling lower than the very bowels of the Earth, the drums constantly changing lanes, veering from infectious grooves into double-kick barrages and then exploding into blast beats, treating genre boundaries like the speed limit: no. All of this, plus the destructive, tornadic delivery of Liz Selfish, would not be nearly as powerful were it not for some of the lyrics. Title track Manslayer rips into the guts of those who have crossed her; the ever-truthful hell hath no fury like a woman scorned spewed with hatred and vitriol, the unnamed target being told to fear for your life and that it’s judgement day, the bitch you spurned will make you pay. Absolutely ferocious, zero punches pulled, the listener almost fearing for the person because we know they’re utterly fucked. Track Trophy Hunting is an ass-beater likening an individual so hellbent on power and control that it’s akin to literal trophy hunting (as it’s known), lyrically just as in your face: advancing slow / don’t scare the doe / pull the fucking trigger.
So many layers to demonstrate how visceral this band is, basically unrelenting on every single front. Though there are some tracks that don’t stack up, and with 17 songs it’s bound to happen, they’re still just as intense and laser-focused. Brat gained a new fan with this one; this is an authentic, aggressive, vitriolic beast of an album with something that should satisfy nearly any metal listener. I’m curious to see what the final lyrics are for the other tracks, as the title of a few, Aileen Wuornos the most obvious, especially given the album title, really get the mind churning, wondering what route the band takes both with the lyrics and the accompanying music. This album is dark, it’s violent, it’s virtually relentless, and it’s one hell of a release. Seriously, if you like any of the three genres mentioned, it’s for you. Hell, if you see the title Manslayer and you’re immediately thrilled by its inference, scope the lyrics, this album is for you. It was my intro, and they’re definitely for me.
(4.5 / 5)
