Artist: Grollteufel
Country: Germany
Label: Narbentage Produktionen
Formats: LP
Year: 2025
I’m rather sure that the name Grollteufel doesn’t ring a bell with too many people. It was a short-lived band/project that only recorded one single 15-minute demo tape back in 2000. So it’s perhaps not too surprising that you might not have been familiar with it, and certainly nothing to be ashamed of. But the lone person behind this band was none other than Andreas Freidrich Bettinger, better known as B.S.o.D. from Grausamkeit and Heroin Makes Happy and an incredible number of other bands and projects—here operating under the name Dämonenstunk. Narbentage Produktionen has made it their life’s work to re-release everything by B.S.o.D. We’ve already seen heaps of Grausamkeit tapes, records and CDs come out, and now they’ve moved on to some of his other projects, including Grollteufel.
In case you have heard a thing or two by B.S.o.D., you know that basically all of his stuff is as deranged and freaky as humanly possible. While perhaps not as quirky as some his most weird stuff, Grollteufel definitely is no exception to this musician’s trademark sound. As a whole, Grollteufel is a bit more riff-heavy and, apart from a few bursts into lunacy, rather straight-forward – at least for B.S.o.D. standards. On the other hand, the music in general is really raw and lo-fi, something like this would fit seamlessly into the boom of Raw Black Metal from the late 2010’s. Anyone who was (or is) able to get his or her kicks of those harshest recordings of Carved Cross, Black Cilice, Unholy Vampyric Slaughter Sect, Funeral Altar, Forbidden Citadel Of Spirits, Lampir, Drekavac, Sanguine Relic, Orgy Of Carrion and the likes, wouldn’t mind sinking their teeth in ‘After Satan’s Last Hate Action’ either. Given that they are able to withstand the attack of the quirkiness. But, those shouldn’t worry too much, though. It’s only a bit of weird-ass melodies with semi-acoustic guitar a xylophone (?) and whatnot. I just never really understood why this lad has and had so many project going on while lots of them are clearly interchangeable. I can’t think of a reason why ‘After Satan’s Last Hate Action’ couldn’t be released under one of his other/previous monikers, or, why he disbanded this project right after the release of this demo.
With only 15 minutes, this demo is a little short to add to a 12” vinyl, but from a musical perspective, this is a great ride and delirious ride for sure. However, not for the faint or the weak, but then again, what other material of B.S.o.D. is/was? With over 60 past and present projects and all of the sought-after controversies surrounding his cult, I am sure that there’s enough demand for this reissue as well.
