THOSE WHO BRING THE TORTURE
"Tank Gasmask Ammo" (Pulverized;
2008)
Reviewed by Metal Mark
The CD cover, title and band name had me imagining this album would be very to the point and brutal. Was I right? Well, I wasn’t far off, as these guys from Sweden play a fairly traditional brand of death metal with chunks of perhaps 90s grind core blended together to create a rather tight blend.
As one might gather from the album title and song titles like “Riders on the Mushroomcloud” and “Radiation Blessed,” there is a definite war theme running throughout the album. Like machine gun fire they spit out riffs and furiously steady drum beats without pausing or taking a breath.
The first few tracks seem a bit more limited or at least this occurred to me in retrospect after I took in the entire album. It almost seemed like the band gets more comfortable as the go along. Toward the beginning everything is a little tense and limited in their presentation but, after awhile, they seem to settle in more. Once they hit this comfort zone they shift speeds with greater regularity and the band begins to control the pace instead of vice versa.
The vocals are fairly typical of this genre, but good enough although on a few songs they seem a little low in the mix.
As good as "Tank Gasmask Ammo" is, I think it could
have even been a little more aggressive and that the band could have taken even
more chances. Still the CD has sufficient power and ideas to make it worth
seeking out.
For more information, check out
http://www.myspace.com/twbtt.
Rating Guide:
A classic. This record will kick your ass.
Killer. Not a classic but it will rock your world.
So-so. You've heard better.
Pretty bad. Might make a nice coaster.
Self explanatory. Just the sight of the cover makes you wanna hurl.
Copyright © 2008 by R. Scott Bolton. All rights
reserved.
Revised:
08 Apr 2024 13:20:49 -0400.
