Extreme metal act Baest are unlike any band out there today. Since forming in Arhus, Denmark, in 2015, the hard-working quintet—featuring an all-original lineup of Sebastian Abildsten (drums), Simon Olsen (vocals), Lasse Revsbech (guitars), Mattias Melchiorsen (bass), and Svend Karlsson (guitars)—have amassed an impressive number of victories. Their curriculum vitae, to date, reads three full-lengths, two EPs, numerous big festival (Copenhell, Roskilde, Sweden Rock, Bloodstock) appearances, and over 300 live shows. The wins don’t stop there, either They’ve been honored with five GAFFA awards in Denmark. Singles “Genesis,” “Ecclesia,” and “Crosswhore” have racked up 2.5 million+ streams. The press also signed on in raucous support of Baest. Metal Hammer said Necro Sapiens (2021) “[is a] solid slab of brutish, no-nonsense riffery,” New Noise offered, “[Necro Sapiens was a] big step above most other modern death metal records,” and Angry Metal Guy was awestruck at Baest’s “slick Scandinavian savagery.” All this in just eight years—that’s beastly.

“Community is one of the most important things for us,” says Baest’s Svend Karlsson, attributing the group’s lineup solidarity to their current upward trajectory. “Same lineup as always; sharing the stages worldwide with the best mates is very special. That feeds into the songwriting and live shows. We are so well-connected personally and musically. It’s all about energy; with our backs covered, we can focus that energy on the audience. Every show is a death metal party!”

Baest’s sound—a furnace of death metal and heavy metal—summons the greats while also charging head-long into the future. Think: Dismember, Iron Maiden, Morbid Angel, Judas Priest, and Bolt Thrower with a present-day finish. In fact, this very aesthetic caught Century Media’s attention after the group issued their independently-released EP, Marie Magdalene, in 2016. Once the Danish faction signed to the label in 2018, it was game on. Full-lengths Danse Macabre (2018), Venenum (2019), and Necro Sapiens produced an avalanche of grinding, groove-centric extreme metal. Tracks like “Abattoir,” “Genesis,” and “Creature” put Baest’s songwriting dynamic on decisive display.

“Baest’s core is our live energy,” Karlsson says. “We feel like we’ve found a formula that captures all that. Songwriting is a dynamic process, so we try to keep the songs fresh and exciting. Our only rule is that if everyone grins while we riff the new songs out, it stays in the song! To do that, we write and arrange our songs at rehearsal—just like in the old days. Once the songs are 99 percent ready, we book a big studio to record them live in the middle of nowhere. That means we gotta be tight, especially when Simon comes in to slay the vox-box.”

The music currently in work post-GAFFA winning EP Justitia (2022), which featured guest vocals from The Black Dahlia Murder’s Trevor Strnad (R.I.P. 2022) and Aborted’s Sven de Caluwé, continues to be defiantly Baest but pulls in more ‘80s heavy metal. The Danes also chew on the progressive muscle of Rush, Kansas, and Jethro Tull for spirit. They cite Pestilence’s landmark 1991 full-length Testimony of the Ancients as but one lighthouse of similar innovation, where disparate sounds thickened into a terrifyingly effective monstrosity. If the group are anything, it’s productive. Since (de)composing into Baest in 2015, they’ve written—on record—about 40 songs. Now that they’re on the eve of their fourth full-length album, there’s more on the way. The Danes’ crucible is perpetually hot.

“The songwriting process is the same as always,” says Karlsson. “We start with a ton of riffs and put ‘em together until everyone is stoked! This time around, we have some more time on our hands—and fresh inspiration. A lot of ‘80s heavy metal is really inspirational for us at the moment, like Maiden, Priest, and Saxon. I think if Mercyful Fate were from Sweden and played death metal, that’s where we’re going. Aesthetically, we try to keep true to our material and concepts, though. As of late, it’s taking a more old-school turn concerning our cover art material. Stay tuned for that!”

Since the stage is a conduit to the studio, Baest’s live shows over the last eight years have only improved. From modest venues like Pumpehuset and VoxHall in Denmark to the massive rostrums of open-airs like Bloodstock and Copenhell, where Baest played a primetime slot to 25,000, it’s all home to the fearsome five. Tours with Entombed A.D., Abbath, Decapitated, and more have proven one thing: Baest are beasties once the curtain drops. The group’s upcoming tour with Brazilian legends Krisiun will only add to their indefatigable killstreak.

“We’ve been touring as much as possible in the post-pandemic period,” Karlsson says. “Days after restrictions lifted in Europe, we headed for our first European headlining tour, which went amazing—a full month of playing great venues wherever possible. We topped last summer off with a headlining tour in Denmark, playing sold-out shows locally. The tours this year have been mainly European festivals, but we’re getting on as support with bigger acts like Arch Enemy, with whom we’ll play in Sweden. As for Krisiun, it’s an honor to go out with such a cult death metal act! Fans can expect a mix of all releases live, and we like to bring all the Baest flavors.”

Where next to conquer, indeed!

BAEST ARE:

Simon Olsen - Vocals

Mattias Melchiorsen - Bass

Sebastian Abildsten - Drums

Lasse Revsbech - Guitars

Svend Karlsson - Guitars