UMUR "Bastard Saints" is an EP release by Dutch death metal act Sinister. The EP was released through Nuclear Blast Records in August 1996. It bridges the gap between the band´s 3rd and 4th full-length studio albums "Hate (1995)" and "Aggressive Measures (1998)". There´s been one lineup change since "Hate (1995)" as Bart van Wallenberg has now permanently shifted to the guitar and Michael Alderliefsen has therefore been added to the lineup as the band´s new bassist.

"Bastard Saints" features 5 tracks and a full playing time of 18:47 minutes. "Reborn From Hate" is a short intro though, so there are only 4 "regular" death metal tracks on the EP. The title track and "Rebels Dome" are new tracks exclusive to this EP, while "Cross the Styx" and "Epoch of Denial" are both re-recorded versions of tracks from the band´s debut album "Cross the Styx (1992)". I´m not sure why Sinister opted to re-record the two tracks, because the originals are pretty great, but maybe they just didn´t have enough new material to put on the EP. The re-recorded versions are decent too, but to my ears they don´t beat the originals, which render them a bit redundant.

The real attraction here are the new material of which the title track is a real killer death metal track. A great diverse track featuring many different sections, tempo changes, and a focus on catchiness. "Rebels Dome" is a bit more direct and not quite as interesting, but it´s still quality material.

"Bastard Saints" is the last Sinister release to feature lead vocalist and founding member Mike van Mastrigt and it´s an alright exit for him although the 3 studio albums he recorded with the band are overall stronger and more worthwhile releases. "Bastard Saints" is a solid effort though and a 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is warranted.