Amazingly, Naked Whipper‘s only ever full length offering, Painstreaks, came out thirty years ago.

Thirty years. Let that sink in. That’s longer than I’ve been alive, and it’s amazing to think that this nugget of pure filth has been gestating somewhere for the entire length of my existence, and then some, waiting to hatch…

So it’s time for some sort of (black) celebration – what a time to be alive! – of being on the planet as Dominus A.S. (the evil mastermind behind NW) unleashes a second helping of pure hell.

There are some minor quibbles to voice – the production is a bit drum heavy, for instance, which prevents the truly titanic riffage on some of the songs achieving their truest potential, but overall there’a a lot of positives to take away from this happy re-emergence of Naked Whipper.

After a suitably amusing intro, the band hit the ground running but it’s not until tracks four and five – Top Notch Slavedriver and (Pray Macabre) Chapel Defilement – that Dominus really hits his stride. After that it’s a fun-filled neck flexer of a ride to the finishing line with Celebrate Their Downfall and The Swinepriest Bedlam sticking out especially as prime examples of dirt-encrusted, blasphemous gold.

As noted , there’s some absolutely filthy riff warfare to be witnessed here, and the relentless barrage that the band lays down might weary less hardy souls, but if the Berserker rage in death metal form starts you thinking unspeakable thoughts I’d say that at least half of this album will stay with you for a very long time to come. As an historical artefact this album continues the cult legacy the band started all those years ago well, shaving off some of the rough edges to appeal to more modern ears whilst retaining it’s black, throbbing heart. Let’s hope we don’t have to wait three decades for the next dose of the whip!