Severe Torture – Page 2 – Wonderbox Metal

Atrocious Abnormality – Formed in Disgust (Review)

This is the second album from US Brutal Death Metallers Atrocious Abnormality.

If you like the classic sound of Death Metal à la Cannibal Corpse, Defeated Sanity, Severe Torture and the like, then you’ll love this latest release from Atrocious Abnormality. This is ripping Death Metal with lashings of brutality and bloodshed, all delivered in 31 minutes of riff-hungry carnage.

Atrocious Abnormality really have got their songwriting abilities dialled in. As paragons of brutality these songs also have a whole slew of memorable riffs and just enough melody to cause the guitars to stick out without sacrificing any of the ugliness. Top work.

Each of these tracks do exactly what you’d want this type of Death Metal song to do. Here we have complexity and technicality without going too far down the rabbit hole; simple, heavy riffs without becoming too basic; catchiness without over-familiarity; speed and groove intertwined…Formed in Disgust really has a lot to offer the discerning Metal fan.

I’m very happy with this release. I love a good slab of timeless Death Metal, and Atrocious Abnormality have delivered. It’s especially pleasing as it’s quite easy for a release of this nature to come across as stale and boring – just a repeat of what’s come before. What’s nice about Formed in Disgust though is that the band somehow manage to breathe fresh life into the style they play through sheer force of will and decent songwriting skills.

I heartily recommend this one – get your fill and do it now.

The Sickening – Sickness Unfold (Review)

This is the second album from Norwegian Brutal Death Metallers The Sickening.

This is Brutal Death Metal for fans of Deeds of Flesh, Severe Torture, Vile and the like. Indeed, the last song on here is a Vile cover.

Guttural growls lead the way, deep and dark atop the gore-drenched music. The singer is an accomplished grunter and leaves no doubt in your mind that you are firmly in his sights and may very well be on the menu.

The band have a slightly odd production in that everything sounds extremely sharp; whereas the average Death Metal band will happily pummel you to death with blunt objects, The Sickening prefer to use knives and bladed weapons.

The recording allows the band to make ample use of their bassist too, which is something I always enjoy in my Death Metal.

The songs have plenty of chug and groove in them, as well as the requisite blasting barbarity. This is a band that doesn’t understand the word subtle and is quite happy going straight for the kill in every one of these tracks.

When only Brutal Death Metal in its purest of forms will do, The Sickening are here for you.

Check them out.

Abhorrent Deformity – Entity of Malevolence (Review)

This is the début album from US Brutal Death Metal band Abhorrent Deformity.

With an album cover that lets you know exactly what the band are going to sound like, Abhorrent Deformity proceed to brutalise you with 35 minutes of powerful USDM for fans of Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Deeds of Flesh, Dying Fetus, Defeated Sanity, Severe Torture, etc., as well a s touch of a more modern approach to some of the riffs, somewhat akin to Molotov Solution.

Savagely deep grunts are unrelenting in their vocal attack. The singer has a classic Deathgrowl that’s quite satisfying and utterly guttural, (say that five times fast).

Entity of Malevolence is ugly, brutal, full of blast beats and has just enough chug-and-squeal to be pleasing without getting boring. I imagine that some may have had their fill of this style and might want more from a Death Metal band in 2015, but it’s hard to complain when the band stamp a boot on your throat and knife your insides.

These songs use a good combination of speed and heaviness with which to beat the listener into submission. It’s music that’s not for everyone by any means, but then Brutal Death Metal never is. If you favour the style though, Abhorrent Entity play it with a purity and honesty that I haven’t heard in quite a while.

Definitely one for all fans of brutality, everywhere.

Power of Ground – The Butcher (Review)

Power of Ground are from Bangladesh and this is their début EP. They play Technical Brutal Death Metal.

Here we have aggressive Death Metal played with passion and with an ear for a good riff. This is a brutal release with a flavour somewhere between Old-School and a bit newer.

The production values are quite raw, but this is only a début release so that’s okay. It’s not a bad sound though, it just needs filling out a bit in my opinion.

The songs themselves though are nasty slices of visceral Death Metal with a good trade-off between technicality and ugly brutality; similar to a band like Dying Fetus in the sense that they can sometimes juxtapose the two, but they don’t really sound like them overall. I’d say they mix a bit of Dying Fetus with elements of Severe Torture, Defeated Sanity, Infant Annihilator and even a bit of old Hypocrisy in the slower parts.

I like that the band have a lot of ideas and are clearly hungry for this style of music. It sounds fresh and ready to kill. There are a lot of good riffs here and these generally congeal into decent songs.

The vocalist is impressive and talented; screams, growls, pignoise grunts – it’s all here. The vocals are one of the highlights for me, ranging from extreme Death Metal growls to Grindcore-style, unhinged shrieks. Great stuff.

This is a very promising start for Power of Ground. So what do we want next? If they improve on their recording a bit and continue to write interesting and engaging songs like this then their debut album should be a great listen. I can’t wait to hear what they do next.

Voodoo Gods – Anticipation for Blood Leveled in Darkness (Review)

This is the début album from International supergroup Voodoo Gods. They play Death Metal.

Featuring members of bands such as Cannibal Corpse, Sceptic and Severe Torture you know that a lot of talent and experience has gone into making this release.

This is song-oriented Death Metal with plenty of hooks, solos and a Thrash influence.

The tracks are catchy and memorable. They roll along enjoyably and the Thrash aspect gives the riffs an extra energy. There are frequent solos which are played well and it’s always nice to hear the colour and interest that a good solo brings to a song.

The dual vocal approach works a treat and provides nice variety to the tracks, as well as some good rhythms and vocal interplay. George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher is, of course, immediately recognisable. The second singer Seth Van de Loo certainly shouldn’t be discounted, however, and holds his own against the seasoned Cannibal Corpse veteran. Together they growl, grunt and shriek their way across these songs with power and conviction.

Coming from the people involved this is not as brutal as you might be expecting. The Thrash influence and the emphasis on songs means that this is more catchy and mid-paced than brutal and blasting. It’s still Death Metal and still heavy, of course, but not as much as you might think.

There are also moments of lighter reprieve and a good Death influence to some of the riffs. It all adds to their palette and the end result is a rich, sumptuous Metal meal.

Enjoyable and accomplished, this is the kind of album you throw on when you’re in the mood to be aurally beaten around the head by a band with a bit of groove who know how to write a good tune.

Highly recommended.

Hate Division – Order of the Enslaved (Review)

Hate Division are from Canada and this is their second album of Death Metal.

No crappy intro and no messing around; the band launch straight into a blastbeat. This is Brutal Death Metal that is played fast and loud with plenty of double bass and twisting, crunching guitars.

Slower, more melodic sections and solos make appearances also and add spice to the flavour of the album.

There are elements of bands like Origin and Misery Index mixed with bits of bands like Cannibal Corpse and Severe Torture. It’s loud, substantial and uncompromising.

Hate Division are a funny band in a way, as this is a surprisingly subtle album. It’s all relative of course as we’re still talking about Brutal Death Metal here, but what I mean is this; the album grows on you over time and the band may be heavy, angry and in your face but they’re not flashy or gimmicky; they’re content to let the music do its stuff.

This is the kind of album that upon first listen it’s like, “yeah it’s good”, but then without even realising it you’re playing it again. And again. And again. Before you know it you have a much more intimate relationship with it than you were expecting. The band don’t take no for an answer.

So give this a listen and let the blastbeats and the riffs explode over you. It’s time to join the Hate Division.

Defilementory – The Dismal Ascension (Review)

Defilementory are from Denmark and play Brutal/Technical Death Metal.

The album starts with a melodically-brutal intro that shows off some sludgy riffs with frenetic blasting drums. It’s an unusual piece and a welcome turn of events to the usual lacklustre album intros that a lot of bands peddle.

As the album unfolds it becomes clear that the intro is no mere anomaly and Defilementory are a band who are not afraid to throw in some more experimental riffs and atypical sections to their songs. Taking cues from an unholy mixture of bands like Gorguts and Severe Torture, this is a seamless blend of Technical Death Metal and wanton Brutality.

Atmospheric riffs rub shoulders with heavier, chugging sections whilst the drums and bass gel everything together into a rotting mass of putrid gore.

Bands like this are a joy to listen to as they’re taking the standard Death Metal template and invigorating it with good ideas; it sounds fresh yet at the same time staying true to what Death Metal is all about.

The singer is no slouch either; as the band riff and heave their way around the savagery he produces a very satisfying deep growl.

Sometimes the technicality/experimentation gets in the way of the actual song, but rather than this be a fatal flaw it merely refocusses the attention so that the atmosphere and mood of the tracks become more important than traditional song structures. This becomes even more apparent on subsequent spins; the warped melodies and twisted structures come into their own as you become more familiar with the material.

Defilementory have produced an interesting, ambitious and enjoyable record. May they continue on this darkened path less-travelled for many an album to come.

Favourite Track: The Mask of Anatomy. The different influences click perfectly into place on this.

Aborted Fetus – Private Judgement Day (Review)

Aborted Fetus – Russian Brutal Death Metal that’s guaranteed to give you a shock in the arm early in the morning. Who said Caffeine is better than Death Metal?

This is ultra-brutal, almost-Deathgrind music that takes no prisoners and probably doesn’t even know what the word mercy means. As a point of reference think early Severe Torture, and then think how much of a compliment that is.

The songs are largely short and sharp with plenty of blast to remove the cobwebs and get the, (bloody), juices flowing.

Vocals are unintelligible and coarse – almost pure pignoise, but just the right side of this so rather than sounding stupid they actually sound pretty damn great!

I have a soft spot for this kind of ultra-brutality. Yes it’s never going to win any awards for originality but being unique is overrated sometimes; sometimes you just want to blast and grind it out, and when you’re in this kind of mood Aborted Fetus hit the exact right spot.

You can hear a track streamed from Comatose Music here.

https://www.facebook.com/Abortedfetusbrutality