Nocturnal Torment (U.S.):
They Come at Night (Deathgasm)
Nocturnal Torment works
with the heaviest, thickest, fattest sounding guitar work.
It is not particularly easy to hear clearly what the guitars are
playing because the sound is so thick and even sludgy. As a result, the band
trades in clarity of instrumentation for a huge wall of sound that is as
convincing as it is undeniable.
In theory, this sound probably should not function. Not only are the
guitars very low, the vocals sound monotonous and also low. The drumming is of
the nonstop blasting and frenzy variety.
Here is the thing, though, Nocturnal Torment captures the attention
from the beginning and quickly gets the listener caught up in the barrage. Do
the songs sort of sound the same? Sort of! There are slight, almost hidden
melodies that make the songs different. Nocturnal Torment is so good at what
they do, that you’ll growl along in no time.
Nocturnal Torment plays very fast and sounds massively heavy,
proving that they can do both very well. A job done well. Fun. Impressive. www.deathgasm.com
Southwicked (U.S./Belgium): Death’s Crown (Abyss Records)
This band has Allen West, who is of course
known for his work with Obituary. Do you happen to like Obituary? Those heavy
Obituary grooves and an ear-friendly death metal vibe that I am tempted to call
rock and roll. But don’t get the wrong idea. These riffs sound like Obituary
and certain parts might remind of certain bits in Obituary albums.
The vocals are low, which
is different from Obituary’s painful growling, but the overall drumming, the
guitar work and the feel says that Allen West is just doing what Allen West is
known for. Listen to those Allen West signature guitar solos!
“Give the people what the
people want” is the philosophy this band and Allen West. Personally, I can’t
get enough of this stuff. Then again, I do like Obituary a whole lot.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.