Strange thing, coincidences. I hadn't heard of Torture Squad before, until recently. Then, at a local gig (which, in itself is rare in Peterborough), I got to talking to a Brazilian bloke. We chatted over a beer about bands we had seen recently, and about where I got my Sabbat T shirt from. Then, he started to tell me about Torture Squad. “They are”, he told me, “the best band about at the minute by a long shot”. He told me that they were also Brazilian and that they played thrash metal. Then I thought no more of it, until, as if by magic, the following Monday this little beauty arrived on the doorstep.
Well, while I wouldn't necessarily go along with the assertion that Torture Squad are the best band I have heard at the moment, they're certainly a pretty impressive outfit. This is raging, heavy and tight death-thrash metal of the highest calibre. Ordinarily, this can often mean that the music falls somewhere in between the two, without really satisfying the fans of either genre fully. Not so on this impressive platter. I happen to be not only a death metal fan, but I am also cursed with being old enough to have been a pucker fan of thrash metal the first time round, and I can, unlike so many of the current crop of new “thrash bands” detect a false thrasher from a hundred paces.
From the very start, this album is an engaging listen, with the main thrust being the skilful and well composed guitars. Opener “MMXII” is an archetypal album starter, bursting with malicious intent and bristling with nervous energy. There are plenty of fast sections at play, but as usual with thrash influenced music, it's the gallop and shuffling time signatures that leave the greatest impression, as with the lurching sections of “Man Behind the Mask”, or “The Fall of Man”.
The production is crystal clear and extremely punchy, though for some reasons the drum sound, particularly the cymbals, sound a little ragged around the edges, which can be a little distracting given how razor sharp the rest of the music sounds. The vocals are a mixture of high, rasping cries and deeper, gravely yet still easily decipherable semi-death metal touches. Death metal like musical touches, rooted in their speed and oppressive sound stop this being just another thrash release, and this is likely to be heavy enough to cater to the tastes of all but the most brutal ears.
It also seems as if Torture Squad have picked up a hefty buzz of late, which is gratifying, as they not only seemingly have the song writing skills to produce such an accomplished album, but also the playing to take them higher into the metal consciousness. They're also touring Europe soon this year, with over 50 dates, so it will be interesting to see if their live energy can match their recorded sound. It might not be the best album of the year so far, but it's certainly an early contender for thrash album of the year for me.
http://www.torturesquad.com.br
http://www.myspace.com/torturesquadband
