Severe Torture – Torn from the Jaws of Death (Review)

Severe Torture are a death metal band from the Netherlands and this is their sixth album.

Torn from the Jaws of Death is a 39-minute hammer smash to the face. I’ve been a huge fan of Severe Torture ever since 2000’s Feasting on Blood, so to say I’ve been excited for this has been an understatement. I’m pleased to say that Severe Torture have delivered the entrails-smeared goods, and have also brought some additional torture implements with them too.

Torn from the Jaws of Death is savage and unforgiving. Severe Torture know this sort of thing inside and out of course, and know how to get the material screaming and bleeding in all of the right ways. Brutal death metal rarely sounds as enjoyably engaging as this, and it’s purely down to Severe Torture’s skill at writing, arranging, and executing their favourite form of ferocity. The band’s recipe largely consists of two main ingredients – brutality and technicality. From these, the band vomit forth ten barbaric tracks of violence and gore. It’s not pretty, but it is damn fun.

Each of the songs – made up of a choice selection of memorable riffs, harsh growls, and murderous drums – exemplify the best parts of the brutal death metal style. The adrenaline rush, the pounding blood, the lethal heaviness, the punishing blast beats, it’s all here. Interestingly though, the music also offers a few creative ideas in key places that serve to enrich the band’s meaty death metal, rather than dilute its effectiveness. This might be a touch of nuance or texture hidden amidst the carnage; it might be just enough melody to sharpen the blunt assault to a killing edge; or, unexpectedly, it might be in the form of the black metal influence that periodically roars forth in a blizzard of cold envenomed shards.

Severe Torture’s assault is precise and passionate. This is DEATH METAL writ large, and it absolutely destroys. Let its barbed hooks sink deeply into your flesh.

Essential listening for fans of Aborted, Blood Red Throne, Cannibal Corpse, Dying Fetus, Suffocation, etc.