TORTURE
In Thrash… …We Trust
Self-released (2016)
Rating: 7/10
|
|
Yeah, I know there are numerous bands who have adopted this moniker, but in this case Torture is a Greek band that have been around since 2008 and who released their debut platter (Rotten System) in 2011.
The quartet consists of vocalist Ironbeast, drummer Rotting, guitarist Overthrower and bassist Skullblaster, and yet in spite of their corny monikers, these guys know how to cough up a lump of decent furious thrash metal.
The premise is simple; Torture live up to their moniker with a rancid, spitting cacophony that is fast-paced throughout due to the guitar frenzy and snarling, spiteful vocal sound of Ironbeast. There’s nothing fancy or clever about the whole she-bang. The foursome simply hurtle through 12 tracks for this full-length experience and rarely let up; there are gang chants (‘ACAB’ – which stands for ‘All Cops Are Bastards’), hyper-gallops (‘Pay In Pain’), and hints of humour (‘Cartridge Beer’) but there’s no denying the passion of these guys.
Indeed, this sort of thrashing noise has a strong underground feel, that reminds me of some of the more stuffy South American death / thrash acts that emerged on the scene in the 80s, rather than merely mimicking the Bay Area crunch. In a sense, Torture doesn’t really follow any trends or waves; instead, this gang has clearly walked into a garage, set up their equipment and hoped for the best and it’s not bad at all. In fact, I’m particularly impressed by the rancid vocal rasps and lo-fi feel of the guitar sound, although all instruments on offer marry together and in a rather stuffy, underground cosiness which adds to the murkiness.
Killer percussive hammers litter the chaos of ‘Diplomatic Violence’ before it slows pace and adds vigour and fizz via some peculiar soloing. Elsewhere, we have ‘Fight – Violence – Punishment’ with its punky crossover feel, the lethal ‘Vengeance Pending’ which mixes the murky realms of old Voivod and Celtic Frost, and then onto my favourite lump of punky noise with ‘Fucked And Hacked’ – a riotous affair featuring a catchy metallic melody and again, those snarling vocal sneers.
In Thrash… …We Trust is an album that turned out to be a pleasant surprise; in fact, the last time I experienced such punkoid, rusty vibes was with Bastardator’s Identify The Dead opus (2008). And so with that, I leave you with an outing that deserves your time, money and support. With a little guidance, Torture could well make their way into the higher thrash leagues.
Neil Arnold
