Feasting on Blood

Calling the low-lying Dutch lands home, Severe Torture are one of those bands that make me wonder if the Dutch death metal scene really was better than the bizzare, macabre riffs of the Finnish scene (my current favorite place for OSDM). The former created hookier, doomier metal historically, but the Netherlands continued to be a hotbed of inspiration in the wake of an evolving climate (Disavowed, Pyaemia, Prostitute Disfigurement, Arsebreed). The Finnish scene, on the other hand, adapted changes that didn't resonate with the extreme metal underground at large, with many of the prevailing groups adopting awkward death 'n'roll fusions (Disgrace, Belial) or abandoning metal altogether (Xysma).

Feasting on Blood really caught my attention when I was diving into the murky underbelly of brutal death metal for the very first time. The slammy bands and the nigh-robotic precision of the ultra technical bands took consistent effort not to turn off at first, but amongst all of the pinch harmonics, pingy snares, and jackhammer-style production, Severe Torture didn't seem to have any of that. In my mind, it was a clear and consistent evolution from the tremolo-saturated stylings of the old school, and this album is MUCH better off embracing those qualities.

The chunkiness that one would come to expect in brutal death isn't all too present here - like the all-out blasting madness of the techy Gorgasm and the grindy Deranged and Brodequin, Severe Torture's take on brutality is less on groove and more on bludgenoning the listener with riff after juicy riff. The momentum never stops with these guys, and I'm all for this sort of uncompromised sound. The trademark features that other bands adopted in the late 90s doesn't seem to be as emphasized nearly as much, which is why I'm making the case that old-school fans would appreciate this a little more. From the more conventional blasphemous lyrics and generalized approches towards death and destruction, the all-out splatter Cannibal Corpse pioneered isn't the name of the game either.

The tuning tends to be higher too. With other bands experimenting with C standard, B standard, and even A standard if you're Nile or Malignancy, the Dutch giants of the brutal death scene didn't opt for the chunkier sound that favors thicker string gauges. This tended to give the riffs lots more clairty and precision, a trait that favors this genre exceptionally well. As refined as the overall sound was, I think it could have benefitted from a slightly shorter runtime. Unless a band is opting for an ambitious or cinematic approach, I have a hard time staying engaged with albums in this genre for more than 35 minutes. The impact, shock factor, and overall brutality, for a lack of a better word, continue to stay fresh when it doesn't overstay its welcome, yet it is a VERY minor complaint when Severe Torture's brand of sonic annihilation is as effective as it is.

If you're looking for brutal death that's more or less old-school death with a gnarlier, more rotten twist to it, then Feasting on Blood should be right up your alley. It doesn't innovate all that much, but it's just a solid example of this genre, and that's really all you need when you just wanna regress to the sound of barbarity incarnate. Highly recommend.