Torn from the Jaws of Death

A good 14 years have passed since the last release by the Dutch band Severe Torture, but now fans and those who want to become fans are finally getting a new release. Launched in 1997, "Torn From The Jaws Of Death" is the sixth album that will find its way onto your players and shelves. The album is the first to be released with the new drummer Damiën Kerpentier, who joined the band in 2018.

"The Death Of Everything" opens directly and without beating around the bush with merciless, brutal riffs and makes it clear that there will be no prisoners here. The aggressive riffing is accompanied by the equally merciless shooting gallery that fires on all cylinders. The typical death growls do the rest to make the number what it is; a fat, uncompromising deather where the title says it all. Towards the end, the tempo is slowed down and the song, with its "nailing" drums and the matching riff, drills itself into your head even more intensely.

For just under 39 minutes, the new Severe Torture album is a textbook death thunderstorm. The production gives the whole thing the appropriate pressure and ensures that everything is pressed into your ears nice and fat, which is also helped by the bass that serves the song.

But Severe Torture don't just go all out here. No, they also keep an eye on the variety factor and sometimes unpack a "stompy" groove (Hogtied Rope), repeatedly integrate fine solos into the songs or even create fine melodies. But these don't take over, but set accents that give one or the other song a kind of catchiness. On the other hand, that's exactly what they achieve with the opening riff of the title track "Torn From The Jaws Of Death". When the shimmering guitars merge with the rapid-fire salvos on the drums in the chorus, that also stays in your head for a long time. A really strong number.

Variety is more important here than you would expect. When you hear the album for the first time, you think: OK, it's just death metal, with everything that goes with it. But with each subsequent listen, you realize: hey, I didn't notice that before, there's a lot more to it. In addition to the "melodies", breaks and tempo changes mentioned, sometimes it's just a few "squealies" from the guitar that set accents and provide variety. There are also typical death metal dissonances to be heard, but they don't make the whole thing too complicated. In the album closer "Tear All the Flesh off the Earth", these shimmering guitars mentioned above come to the fore even more and the whole sound structure of the number is a touch darker than the rest of the album. A fat roller that has a certain black coloring, but can also set fine accents with lead guitars. Just as fittingly as the album started, it ends just as fittingly when the track fades out with a fine lead guitar.

Conclusion:
Severe Torture are back in force 14 years after their last album and present a sophisticated, versatile, aggressive and brutal death metal treat. The album serves the old school character, but is always open to other influences, so that it fits perfectly into today's times. "Torn From The Jaws Of Death" grabs you immediately, maintains the suspense from the first to the last note and encourages you to listen to it several times. Which in the end also ensures that you go on a journey of discovery again each time. Preferably with headphones.