EP Review: Cripple Bastards – La tua foto sul marmo

June 4, 2026

Legends of grindcore Italiano make a triumphant 6-track return.

Italian grind purveyors Cripple Bastards are one of those bands whose impact upon their genre goes a bit under-reported. Sure, those in the know will give them their proverbial flowers, but it’s pretty clear that their impact on the genre is understated when compared to more prominent innovators like Sore Throat, Napalm Death, Repulsion, Agathocles, and Fear of God (at least in my experience, maybe I’m showing my ass as the pvser I have been and always will be). Originally formed from members of Grimcorpses, the Bastards have been releasing blisteringly fast material since the late ’80s and working with a multitude of other groups of varying levels of notability (Regurgitate, Capitalist Causalities, Eyehategod, Suppression, etc.).

It’d be dishonest for me to claim supreme knowledge of the group’s back catalogue, beyond spending some quality time with 2000’s Misantropo a senso unico, but even a cursory look into their background affirms that Italy’s finest over here are worth consideration—especially when this new EP, La tua foto sul marmo, sees the band taking strides into yet another decade. Retaining most of the same lineup as 2018’s La fine cresce da dentro (the sole new addition to the group being Eugenio Sambasile of Italian melodeath act Embryo on guitar), La tua foto carries on from the deathgrind-adjacent stylings of the group’s late-2010s releases like La fine and Nero in metastasi, while also, in the band’s own words, “expanding their approach with new dynamic solutions and a more layered songwriting style.” I can hear some of that layering in songs like “Vendicativo” and “L’era della dispersione” and I would say the production, at the very least, feels much more dynamic when compared to the band’s last LP. The bolstered dynamic range of La tua foto is maybe the most obvious change on first listen, while whatever changes to song-craft exist in harder to notice nuances.

That’s not to say that, when viewing this extended play as a whole, the improvements here are minuscule; it’s just that the tightness and impact of these changes are more so felt than observed. Viewing the release in a vacuum, Cripple Bastards seem to be starting this new leg of their career on strong footing (the irony of this metaphor is not lost on me), establishing a sharp and loud sound that leaves a strong impact on the listener. Vocalist Giulio the Bastard sounds as hungry as any grind youngin you can find on Bandcamp, Raphael Saini is a terror behind the drum kit, and the two guitar assault from Der Kommissar and Sambasile is ridiculously strong and where much of that boasted layering shines. Fellow longtime member and bassist Schintu the Wretched takes a clear back seat in the mix of these 6 songs, but his presence is felt in a way you’d probably only notice if he wasn’t there (the thankless job of the bassist…).

The obvious framing of a release like La tua foto is that it’s the sound of a band gearing up for something bigger, experimenting with a new songwriting format and sound palette before crafting a full-fledged LP, but it’s not one I’m super certain of. After all, what’s to be prepared for? This is fucking grindcore, the idea is to get in there, kick asses, and leave before you close the drink tab. If Cripple Bastards find their way back into the studio soon, great! If not, La tua foto is a brisk session of pummeling deathgrind that leaves me plenty satisfied.