Its probably safe to say that a live album is not exactly the best way to acquaint anyone to a band they've never heard previously, but at least in this case considering Grave Desecrator's influences maybe it wont matter much. Taken a nod from their own Brazilian brethren, Grave Desecrator is a tribute to those that came before them, namely Sarcófago, Vulcano, Holocausto and (Morbid Visions-era) Sepultura. 'Unblessed Bootleg Live in Bressuire - France' is exactly what the title implies, a bootleg deemed worthy as an official live release by the band. 
Firstly if you're not familiar with those bands above (shame on you) then you can basically expect totally fierce 80's styled proto-black/death/thrash metal from Grave Desecrator and that's just what this recording offers. Kicking off with a four song twelve minute medley consisting of the songs 'Hellhound Breed/Sign of Doom/Revelations (of the Beast)/Stared to Hell' it becomes apparent right away that these guys mean business. It also hits home quickly that this is definitely a bootleg, thus the overall volume is severely lacking, but adjusting the knobs a bit remedies that situation well enough. After said opening medley the band rips through ten more songs, which at least to my ears sound utterly chaotic and true to that classic sound they are intending to pay homage to, but then again the same problem quickly arises - its a bootleg. So, were not talking top notch production values here by any means, but that surely didn't prevent me from enjoying songs like 'Insult,' 'Stained by Blood' and 'Carnal Obsession.' Thing is, I just would have sooner been familiar with the studio versions before diving headlong into this boot. So, to put it a pretty simple, if you dig the fuck outta the bands two studio albums, 'Sign of Doom' & 'Insult' this may be the logical next purchase for you, but then again live albums are also completely avoidable too. Personally 'Unblessed Bootleg Live in Bressuire - France' does what I'd hope it would do, and that is to rouse my interest in the band. I'll have to go ahead and check out those albums and then perhaps come back to this release for added interest, but for now I can only recommend this one to those that are familiar with their albums or those that can't get enough of that filthy vintage Brazilian sound.
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