Posted on: November 27, 2011 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Severe Torture do the equivalent of a Chinese version of their same name with the opening track to “Fall of the Despised” in “Endless Strain of Cadavers”. This means that the same arrangements are tapped, especially in terms of the drums, really bringing in individuals due to the fact that listeners can find some common ground by the fourth or fifth iteration.

The band really brings in a few disparate metal styles during “Sawn Off” that further bolster the main strain of music. Severe Torture really up the ante during their “Impulsive Mutilation”, a track that spins out of control and is end by the piggy-backing of a second guitar on top of the first one. This syncretism is exactly the change-up needed to really put the disc in an entirely other domain. In much of the same way, the shrill guitar work that comes through on “Enshrined In Madness” brings the disc further up from its brutal roots and keeps things interesting even at this at part of the disc. In fact, the shrillness of the guitars on this track really segue well into the gruff vocals that are another hallmark. Although only the most experienced individuals will know exactly what is being said during a Severe Torture song, it is quite often the case that the emotion espoused by the singer coupling with the arrangements that give listeners a fairly good idea what is being discussed.

In terms of late-disc antics, Severe Torture again gets tongues wagging with the different-sounding arrangements that occur during “Dead From The Waist Up”. In a stop-start sense, the arrangements here really set the tone in a much darker way than had previously been on the disc. Throwing in some more virtuosic guitar solos into the mix ties the track to the rest of the songs on “Fall of the Despised”, while the continuing dominance of the drums makes sure that what Severe Torture commits to disc is some of the most gut-wrenching and violent metal out there. “End of Christ” acts as a good penultimate track for the disc, as it really goes back to the repetition that started the disc, as well as including something new – a thrashy circle-pit type of sound – that will push listeners into finishing off the CD and even putting it on repeat. A well thought-out album from beginning to end, “Fall of the Despised” will appeal to all fans of metal.

Top Tracks: End of Christ, Sawn Off

Rating: 6.2/10

Severe Torture – Fall Of The Despised / 2005 Earache / 10 Tracks /http://www.severetorture.com / http://www.earache.com / Reviewed 04 February 2006

[JMcQ]

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