Pandemonium

By today’s, equivocally low standards, Thrash is considered to be played by bands such as The Haunted, Shadows Falls, Dew Scented and the like. These bands have forgotten that Thrash is supposed to be rhythm-based music centred on overt riff-sets and pure head-banging glory. Instead of playing very bland and repetitive riffs that do not characterise or stand out in their songs in any way, shape or form. Sure, there is still some ‘real’ Thrash around, but you have to search beyond the outer realms of the Metal populous and dig a lot deeper to find it. In this group of buried underground Thrash bands there is Brazil’s Torture Squad, who know how to lay down ‘real’ Thrash in these modern times.

The band have seemingly walked into a teleportation device and landed somewhere in the mid-to-late eighties, a time where Thrash was at the forefront of a worldwide assault by Heavy Metal. The only other explanation is the backward nature of the Brazilian society, but then Sepultura would have played music in the vein of the Beatles…

The music itself is, as Thrash should be, riff-orientated and this is evident immediately as the listener is crushed by a series of tempo changes, resulting from a series of crushing and fast riffs that can only be Thrash. The composition generally follows a distinctive riff-set that characterises each song, but then, all of a sudden, the listener is hit by a surprise attack and one can only bang his or her head and remember the glory days. The riff-structures often reach high levels of complexity, but are never anything but catchy, with the technicality not taking anything away from the music. There is also the rapid-tremolo picking structures that would not seem foreign in the Death Metal genre, and this is actually blended in quite well with the general feel of the music – not being over-done or incessant at all. The band obviously did not have access to the highest form of production technology, but there can be no complaints as there is not a part of this album that cannot be heard clearly or any part taking away from the heaviness the band is producing.

The drummer uses blast beats selectively to highlight and build on the intensity of the climatic sections of the song, not falling into the trap of just constantly ‘blasting’ on the double-kick pedals. He maintains the tempo of the guitars, which is no mean feat, as they are ever changing in rhythmic patterns. At times it seems like the drummer has an extra arm, enabling him to pull off fills that are nothing but insane.

Also quite impressive was the improvisation on behalf of the bassist, being quite a talent, who is often credited by being given the privilege of bass breaks being implemented in some songs, which lead into and set up the next riff-set - quite a nice touch.

Vocally, there seems to be two (or maybe three vocalists) as we are treated to low and guttural growls and, in complete contrast, a higher pitched shriek that would fit in quite well on an earlier Kreator album.

If you miss the Thrash scene in the eighties, or are just starting to find your roots in the sub-genre, then this is highly recommended, as you’ll struggle to find a modern Thrash album with so many damn head-banging riffs…