Prophetic Deceiver

With the recent advent of unavailing Exodus worship, the prospect of yet another repackaging of Fabulous Disaster lacking anything approaching an endearing twist is likely to trigger many a groan throughout even intermediate thrashers. Although evoking little excitement on a presentation level with such a pitifully generic name and album title, Prophetic Deceiver might just be worth more than a cursory glance, even if it largely fits the standard bill concerning the aforementioned criteria. The colorful and creative artwork should be the first instance of something greater going on within, and Tormenter thankfully follow through with this promise, delivering caustic and unhinged modern thrash that culls influence from the typical Bay Area template; and hailing from Los Angeles, Tormenter might just be one of the better regional representations out there at the moment.

And although it doesn't evolve heavily from the aesthetic of its predecessors, Prophetic Deceiver oozes discord and atypical melodic trappings that give the material some character that offsets the ballistic inhibition of the remainder. Carlos Rodelo as a vocalist is one of the more interesting cases. Instead of the shameless Zetro lampooning that I expected, he somehow comes off as a collective amalgamation of many respected thrash howlers. I can hear a pinch of Chuck Billy's more abrasive style fused with a tiny measure of Hetfield crooning (particularly on "Hanging by a Noose") and of course there is a fair bit of Baloff's manic and spastic intonation diffused into the mix. In the end, he comes off as a vulgar and potent mouthpiece for the band, allowing them equal footing with the likes of Havok and Evile. In other words, Tormenter are on some levels able to go toe-to-toe with the modern thrash scene's best. The exotic leads of the title track, the mid-paced viscera-grinding of "Hanging by a Noose" and the snappy, frolicking "Snakes in the Throne Room" all set the stage for what is surely a memorable experience.

An experience that Prophetic Deceiver thankfully delivers, at least most of the time. The eschewing of anything approaching pizza thrash-level shenanigans seems to do these bands a great measure of favor, and while aimless aggression occasionally gets the best of them, occasionally an act like Tormenter manages to draw a decent enough hand and deliver the goods. Rhythms are pluggy and direct, working in lockstep with Bonilla's smattering drum fills and burly grooves. The sound palette is occasionally washed over with a Teutonic brush, interjecting a Kreator-level of discord to counterpoint the highly melodic leads. In fact, one of the more memorable aspects of the album are these leads, which sound far more developed than most thrash bands, a great example being "Exile from Flesh."

Prophetic Deceiver works well enough to earn a passing grade, delivering material comparable in style to Bloodrocuted's Disaster Strikes Back but doing so with a higher level of panache and integrity. The album is consistent and well produced, featuring that typical late '80s pluggy drum sound and scooped distortion ala The Years of Decay and the like. As a beefed-up approximation of a style that is oftentimes played out to the point of active irritation, Tormenter deliver a quality product and are worth a listen if you are a fan of the modern Bay Area thrash scene. This won't change any minds but will satiate most thrashers well enough. Recommended for fans of Havok, Warbringer, and the like.


Promo courtesy of The Metal Observer

The last couple of years have not been kind to thrash metal. While there have been some great releases, it appears the onslaught of thrash bands are either disappearing, slowing down, or just getting worse. With the exception of Hatchet’s “Dawn of the End”, there hasn’t been a release in the last couple of years that brought me back to 2008 when I heard Gama Bomb, Bonded By Blood, and Evile for the first time. Until now, that is. Tormenter is a band that has been around for a while, and while their prior work was definitely quite good, their new album, “Prophetic Deceiver”, is propelling them to the thrash metal elite. This album brings together all of the elements that make a fantastic thrash record: impressive individual performances, variety, and most importantly, memorable songwriting. Although what Tormenter does is not fundamentally different from many other thrash bands, they add enough of their own personality to make this record unique.

One of many highlights begins with the opener, “Snakes In The Throne Room”, which shows the band’s melodic sensibility. Tormenter uses harmonized guitars effectively, showing great homage to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Alongside these leads are plenty of guitar solos (none of which relent in any way), and a chorus that is absurdly brutal, showing the drummer’s ability to pound away with double bass. “Snakes In The Throne Room” sets the stage for the rest of the album, as similar themes are prominent on every other track. Tormenter is not afraid to show an ear for melody, and it is the perfect contrast for their aggressive vocalist, Carlos Rodelo. Although his voice is certainly not as unique as those from the bands mentioned above, he takes a bit of a death metal approach, while still staying firmly planted in thrash, not unlike John Kevill from Warbringer.

As the album goes on, it is filled with highlights. The title track manages to be quite catchy, as screams of “Prophetic Deceiver” will be running through your head for hours. The track features a tribute to “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” with a clean guitar section quite similar to Marty Friedman’s from that song. The short interlude track, “C.P.R”, is fantastic in that it really isn’t all that different from the rest of the album. It’s pretty shreddy, and shows the band’s talent well. The second half of the album is no different from the first, and also features some of the best tracks.

One element of the album that does need discussion is the production. I’m somewhat split on it. On the one hand, the drums and bass sound great. Every single fill is enhanced by how good the drums sound, and the bass is noticeable all throughout the record. The lead guitars are likewise pushed to the forefront. Perhaps most surprisingly for thrash is that the rhythm guitars are too quiet. All throughout the album, it feels like the rhythm guitars are fighting to be heard, and that is unfortunate given how good many of these riffs are. It is most noticeable about 25 seconds into “Sacrilege” where there is a buildup with the guitars playing a riff, and the bass and drums accenting it. Every time the rhythm section comes in, it is considerably louder than the guitars they complement. This problem is certainly not anything that ruins the album, and it is only a slight complaint on an otherwise stellar release. Even in spite of this issue, “Prophetic Deceiver” is easily one of the most inspired thrash albums I’ve heard in a while. For all those feeling a bit disappointed with a lot of thrash coming out these days, “Prophetic Deceiver” is the answer to all of your problems!

Originally written for Skull Fracturing Metal
http://skullfracturingmetal.blogspot.ca/