Having become fairly well known in Europe and the US for their brutal splatter-gore death metal, Dutch five-piece SEVERE TORTURE will surprise many with this, their latest effort. Eschewing the OTT imagery that marked 2002’s ferocious predecessor Misanthropic Carnage, the cover of the new splatter is the first indication of some substantial change in the bands’ mindset, displaying a rather more symbolic image of a fallen person with nails through the hand. Ok by your ‘Average Joe’s mindset, that’s hardly subtle, but for a brutal death band like Severe Torture, it is. The lyrics too show this kind of subtle change, while there’s still plenty of violence, death and pain-inducing (especially ’Endless Strain of Cadavers’) in some of the songs it seems much more focused, as if they wanted to speak their mind this time (’Decree of Darkness‘), rather than try and think of the most disgusting thing to do to a virgin’s cunt or the best use of one’s shiny new bonesaw.
BUT WHATS THE FUCKING MUSIC LIKE!!! Well, in parts its good, but in parts a little uninspiring. Whilst some of the riffs show a matured inventiveness, others simply plod along without gripping the listener. The vocals are excellent- dynamic, varied and in all the right places (the sign of a good song-writer as well as growler, and just as important as how guttural one can go), and the drums keep the pace well, blasting when necessary but without overdoing it. In the right mood, this is a potentially intriguing album from a band you may not have thought possible of the feat, but sometimes it just fails to grab you by the throat with the unbridled ferocity these guys have made their name with. That’s when you put Misanthropic Carnage on. (7)
Vital Remains Icons of Evil 2007 Century Media
Album number six from the ever-consistent Vital Remains, Icons of Evil is exactly what one would expect from this Rhode Island three-piece. And that’s the main problem. You know exactly what’s going to happen every second. Granted, few extreme metal bands go about reinventing the wheel, and we don’t expect them to, but if you’re not gonna do something different, then you gotta improve on the last effort. Vital Remains’ last effort though, 2003’s Dechristianize, was the most critically acclaimed of their career, so how do they live up to that?
The opening sample (‘Where is Your God Now?’) gives an instant sense of deja-vu- what with the whole crucifixion of Jesus theme. Religion may be the main theme of the band throughout their career, but there is more than one topic a death metal band could take inside religion, and many less clichéd and overdone. This is then followed by nine tracks of the familiar blasting yet epic and widdly (a technical term) blackened-death we’re used to. And that’s it. Not one of these tracks would seem out of place on Dechristianize, and vice-versa. The fact that only one of these songs (closer ‘Disciples of Hell’) runs under six-minutes doesn’t help either, as it makes the album drag on unnecessarily. Their style may relieve them somewhat from the half-hour benchmark usually suitable for more brutal-death orientated bands, but one-hour and seven minutes of the same thing is too much.
‘In Infamy’ adds a nice touch, as though it does not deviate from the musical style, in the credits it is dedicated to “our Fallen Metal Brothers Jared Anderson, Krzysztof “DOC” Raczkowski, Jesse Pintado, Darrell “Dimebag” Abbot”- a fitting tribute to metal’s recently lost heroes.
This isn’t a bad album by any stretch, but it’s unlikely to convert any who didn’t like them in the first place. If you loved Dechristianize then Icons of Evil is a fine follow-up. If you didn’t, you won’t find this any better. (6.5)
Devourment, Molesting the Decapitated
Debut album from the Texas brutal death band, Molesting… propelled Devourment into the cult status they enjoy today with a thoroughly uncompromising blast of grinding brutality. Opener Festering Vomitous Mass starts things off, after a sample of an interview, in bone crunching slam-style brutal death, and the album doesn’t let up from there. Whilst many bands today seek brutality through sheer speed and nothing else, Devourment show that crushing heaviness can often best be achieved with down-tempo riffs, whilst steering clear of the tuneless noise thrown about by many less talented bands in this genre.
The best thing about this album is without doubt Ruben Rosas’ guttural, ‘toilet bowl’ vocals, so low and powerful they would probably register on the Richter scale! The guitars too are excellent- they may not be technical like such bands as Dying Fetus or Cryptopsy, but they prove technicality, like speed, is not a pre-requisite for brutality. Instead, they plough along with pit-inducing crunch, and can’t fail to get the head nodding with what approximates to catchiness is this genre. The only negative to the album is, occasionally, the drums. Several times during the album, after a slammy section, they blast out of nowhere, and whilst this can be an effective tactic, it seems oddly out of place sometimes.
Despite this, Molesting… is a fine brutal death metal album, one which any fan of the genre must own, and one which left expectations very high for its long awaited follow-up… (8)
Devourment- Butcher the Weak (re-release) 2006 Brutal Bands
Despite the success of the original recording of the brutal death/slam pioneers long-awaited sophomore effort, the Texas band were unhappy with the production, resulting in this re-release, re-recorded from the ground up with original guitarist Braxton Henry at the helm. With six years in between debut Molesting the Decapitated and the original release of Butcher the Weak, during which time the band split, partially reformed with various line-ups for a few shows, then finally reunited, expectations were predictably high, especially considering the cult following the band had attained. Considered by many as perhaps the heaviest band on the planet, this was never going to be anything but pure, grinding, blasting brutality. Some were critical that Devourment would never be able to top their debut for sheer brutality, but Butcher the Weak blows that claim out of the water. From the opening title track to the mind-blowing ‘Masturbating at the Slab’, through ‘Anal Electrocution’ to closer ‘Babykiller’, this is 31 mins and 43 secs of pure sonic fury.
Interestingly, Mike Majewski (vocals) and Ruben Rosas (guitar/backing vocs) have swapped jobs from Molesting…, yet the vocs lose none of their trademark ferocity and subsonic splurge (yes that’s a technical term too). Eric Park provides some serious snare abuse, powering the music forward with insane blastbeats then slowing down into some of the most brutally intense slam sections ever. The guitar tone is thicker and heavier, adding a new dimension of heaviness.
The lyrics, shared between Majewski and Rosas, display the usual themes such as sexual perversion, necrophilia and coprophagia, and display a level of depth and (sick and twisted) imagination beyond the usual clichés served up in this genre.
All in all, Devourment are back, ready to serve up the most intense aural carnage imaginable, and at a time when the brutal death/slam scene is on the ascendancy, it is only fitting that the kings of the genre have returned to once more take up their crown in gnarled and bloodstained fingers. (10)
Crown of Thorns- As I Watch You Die- self-released
Crown of Thorns is solo-project and brainchild of Michael Hundziak, guitarist for Preston death metal bands Vindication and Decapitated Saint, recorded on a computer in the study room. And the results, given these considerations, are pretty impressive. A sample of some poor sod being inflicted with something very painful sets the mood, before the title-track lets rip with a brutal riff; steady and pounding yet primitive programmed drums; and his patented ‘Beaver Grind’ vocals. With some excellent guitar and vocal work, the first song sets the standard for things to come, especially at the end when a Nile-esque atmospheric riff leads into a blasting section, topped off with another intelligent use of a sample, this time much less violent yet still adding to the overall atmosphere as the song trails off into a down-tempo sludge.
Rape You While You Sleep gets things moving again with Dying Fetus style groove and blast changes. At times, the song locks into an excellent, pounding groove that cannot fail to get the head nodding. Another archaic, atmospheric riff follows, slowly pounding the listeners head in with the force of a sledgehammer. The breakdown at the end is accompanied by another sample, this cut from a porno, that amusingly fits in perfectly with the tempo of the riff. This song demonstrates well what many metal bands today don’t seem to realise, you don’t have to go fast as fuck all the time to be brutal.
The Dying Fetus influence is confirmed by the third track, a cover of the classic Kill Your Mother, Rape Your Dog. Capturing the frenetic energy of the song perfectly, its an excellent cover that does justice to the original whilst adding its own twist.
Closing track Anally Fucked with a Chainsaw While Being Scrotally Tortured by a Perverted Old Man opens with a slow chug before letting loose once more into blastbeats and guttural vocals. However, one of the now familiar slow, doomy sections finishes off the track, swimming in a dark atmosphere that promises violence. The shortest and most direct of the three original tracks, this is a blunt statement of intent leaving the listener in no doubt that the future is very brutal indeed.
Considering the primitive method of its recording and the young age of its sole composer (17 at the time of recording) this demo puts many of the bands that have years of experience and the money of record labels to shame. With a full album promised very soon, this is but a short taster of the carnage to come. (7)
Nile, Ithyphallic
Without a doubt one of the most talented, original and devastating bands on the planet, with a flawless discography containing some of the best albums in death metal history, Nile were always gonna have a lot to live up to, especially after 2005’s mind-blowing effort Annihilation of the Wicked. But did we ever doubt them? Did we fuck, and Ithypahllic proves that faith well founded. Opening with the epic What Can Be Safely Written, Nile continue to plough through over fifty minutes of pure carnage (almost an hour including the bonus tracks, more of that later). Detractors might say that this album is simply an extension of Annihilation…, but after a few listens one begins to appreciate this album in its own visceral majesty. Effortlessly changing from brutal riffs and pounding blastbeats to sweeping atmospherics, this is Nile showing all that there will be no let up from their Ancient Egypt inspired assault.
One of the major differences between this album and its predecessor, is the abundance of crushingly slow, doomy riffs making the listener feel as if they themselves were in ancient times, slaving under a burning sun for the glory of uncaring masters. Not that there’s no speed on this album of course, and George Kollias cements his position as one of the best drummers in the world with a magnificent performance that simply blows away all competition. Karl and Dallas too show once again how much they are masters of their instruments with some of the best technical riffing they have ever produced. The production is much better than before, with a raw and barbaric yet crystal clear sound, allowing every instrument to be heard individually.
Two of the highlights of the album are As He Creates, So He Destroys, which includes an awesome chanting chorus reminiscent of Black Seeds of Vengeance, and epic closer Even the Gods Must Die. Starting with a beautifully melodic riff, the song then destroys with some crushingly slow riffs, before moving into a tribal drums and finally ending with an amazing solo.
As always, there is one song on the album with a ridiculously long name, apparently just to piss off record execs (always worthwhile), and this time its Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve It’s Possessor Against Attacks From He Who is in the Water, quite a mouthful indeed, and perhaps even better than Chapter of Obeisance Before Giving Breath to the Inert One in the Presence of the Crescent Shaped Horns from Annihilation….
There are only two minor issues I have with this album, and neither are to do with the music. Firstly, the lyric booklet does not include the notes on each song detailing its meaning and inspiration, as well as any extra instruments used that the last couple of albums did. I personally found these intriguing and inspirational, and sorely missed them this time round. Secondly, the copy I purchased was a 'special edition' and yet the only bonus materials were a couple of tracks minus the vocals, which sounded incomplete. I was at least hoping for a DVD or something. These minor issues, however, take nothing away from the fact that this is yet another stunning album, and a worthy addition to the Nile discography, and no doubt will only get better with time and repeated listens, as I have found to be the case with all this bands albums. Nile truly are the greatest metal band of our time.
Abysmal Torment- Epoch of Methodic Carnage- Brutal Bands Records
One of the best things about death metal is the sheer variety of places the bands come from. Whilst the drivel that occupies the charts seems almost exclusively comprised of “artists” (I use the term generously) from our own shores or across the pond in the States, a death-heads CD collection could be comprised of bands from <country-regionw:ston>Poland to <country-regionw:ston><placew:ston>Indonesia, or anywhere else on the planet. Abysmal Torment are one such band, hailing from <country-regionw:ston><placew:ston>Malta, a place were most people probably couldn’t pinpoint on an atlas. Epoch… is their debut full-length, released by underground label Brutal Bands. Combining blasting speed with crunching slam almost perfectly, this is one hell of an album. The music is excellent- innovative and unique whilst maintaining the brutality one expects. Drummer Wayne Vella is superbly skilled, able to blast with the best whilst also changing rhythm and tempo to prevent it becoming stale. The only let down with the drums is the slightly tinny sound to the snare. David Depasquale provides some excellent riffs, raising the bands sound above many of their fellow brutalists, especially with the choice use of pinches in some tracks. But the best part of this album is the frankly downright awesome dual vocals, provided by Nicky Farrugia and Gordon <country-regionw:ston><placew:ston>Formosa, showing a versatile range of guttural styles. As a vocalist myself, I look to the vocals of a band before anything else, and if they don’t stand up then I just can’t get into a band. Abysmal Torment pass this test with flying colours. Indeed, my favourite part of the entire album is during the second track, Addicted to Smothered Throats, an excellent playoff between low, gurgled vocals and a high-pitched squeal. Another highlight is during the title track, were the song seems to end, only for a brief sample to prelude a short yet superb instrumental section, catching the listener totally off guard and laying their minds open for the fresh assault of the final four tracks. Overall, this is a great album from a band with tons of potential, and with follow-up Omnicide promised soon and a gig in Manchester with UK brutal death acts Ingested and Crepitation coming up at the end of October, it looks like we will be seeing a lot more from these guys in the future. (9)
