Album Year: 2012
Genre: Brutal Death Metal
Location: Brisbane, Australia
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Bandcamp: Here
Disciples Of Torture have well and truly lived up to their self proclaimed title of “Slamming Brutal Death Metal” with the latest release of their self titled EP and that’s a fact. This Intro + 3 track record really has showcased a lot of what the diehard fans of Slam Metal are all about, filth ridden guitar riffs, punchy drums that never steal the show, and vocals that sound as violent as the song titles, take track number 3 for example, “Bodily Augmentation Due To Parasitic Flesh Infestation” … Yes.
The EP begins with a brilliant intro track “Rebirth In Infamy” which features your standard suppressed instruments building that chug and squeal in the background until they are pushed deep inside your ear canals with an explosive entrance at full pitch, it’s a complete knuckle whitener, however, just before you find yourself on your bedroom floor doing furious pushups, the intro comes to a bizarre, out of place finish, leaving the listener hungry for more, which to Disciples Of Torture’s credit, they deliver straight away in the form of “Abhorrent Female Degeneracy” (somebody has been listening to Thy Art Is Murder’s ‘Infinite Death’ and Rings Of Saturn). The 2:58 long track features your low growls, demonic highs, pig sequels, “breees”, the whole shabang to make one brutal slamming track.
Evidently, it is not only the song names from “Infinite Death” which Disciples Of Torture are drawing similarities to, as the guitars feature the same iconic scraping sound that allows a much harsher, angrier tone to echo through the EP, it’s a good thing. The drumming in the track is what I can only label as necessary, as I said earlier, they never steal the show, but as a listener, you’ll find yourself hoping that they don’t, offering the familiar crash and splash heavy fills that is commonplace amongst most Death-metal.
The EP it’s self has a very ‘real’ sound about it from start to finish, it holds a certain raw element that is easy to lose in this age of digital mixing desks, auto pitch correct, over condensed everything and computerized fills that make you feel like you’re listening to a Star Trek audio book, Disciples Of Torture have ensured that their sound is not lost amongst this vast array of new technology and gear, and have stayed true to the roots of the genre,that is, something that isn’t meant to sound pretty, with perfectly mastered timing and transitions, but rather just a brutal, slamming, in your face sound, the kind of sound that make you believe that all of the band members would sport rich, flowing, unkempt beards.
However, NO EP is perfect, and as such, there are a few things within this particular record that could be worked on and used as a building block for future releases. First of all, the vocals, I know I said that they are filthy and “slamming” and be this as it may, they are just too damned quiet! I struggled personally to really get a real goose bumpy feeling from any of the tracks, there isn’t anything haunting or emotional about them, just standard (& very bloody quiet) growls which of course destroy any kind of attempt at pronunciation in the process.
-The Guitars, ahh the guitars, of course this is all completley personal, but the riff work was just not getting me going, at least not for more than 1 minute, dare I say lacking creativity? I DO understand where they were trying to head with the semi tricky little leads hear and there, but for me, they were far to sporadic and boring to keep me riding the same High that the intro sent me to.
-Drums, do a little more with the fills and crank that snare UP! A nice big pop is what I like at the end of something that melts my face off.
All in all, the boys from Disciples Of Torture have put out a solid release. The EP shows exactly what they can do, and from it alone, (And an upcoming tour with Suffocation) I believe they have a very real future in front of them.
Rating: 7/10