As revered as they are within the death metal scene (and for good reason), Deicide’s output this century has been hit or miss at best. It’s not that they ever softened their sound or went the accessible route. If anything, Glen Benton and the gang have managed to do the exact opposite, growing more misanthropic with age. However, all the hatred in the world can’t make up for an album of all killer, no filler songs with memorable hooks, which I haven’t heard from them since 2006’s The Stench of Redemption. Taking this into consideration, it’s all the more reason why the arrival of a band like Tormentor Tyrant is more than welcome, even if perhaps a tad amusing.
Tormentor Tyrant hails from Finland, but they sure don’t sound like it. While their fellow countrymen tend to gravitate towards death metal of the melodic or crusty vein, Tormentor Tyrant unabashedly wear their love of all things Deicide on their sleeve. How much so? Let me put it this way: If you played this for me blindly, I’d almost be fooled into thinking it was the missing link between Once upon the Cross (1995) and Serpents of the Light (1997). From the hellish vocals and industrial strength guitar tone, to the balance between mid-tempo verses and breakneck choruses, this lethal power trio haven’t just studied the Deicide playbook, they’ve memorized it.
On their aptly titled debut album, Excessive Escalation of Cruelty, Tormentor Tyrant bombard us with 8 songs (9 if you include the intro) of Deicide worship at its most diabolical. From the fast and evil romp of “Capital of Pain” onwards, we’re in for a short and anything but sweet display of utter brutality. The violent “Torture Divine” follows, boasting the “roughness” and “toughness” the infamous J-Dawg of Hell’s Headbangers constantly yaps about, and “Tartarean Iron Grip” even borders on Angelcorpse territory with its chaotic blast-driven frenzy.
The only real downside of this album is it becomes very one-note fast. Sure, there is the occasional musical oddity here and there. The intro to “Crueler Tomorrow” is pure death/doom akin to Autopsy and Asphyx at their bleakest. The grooves and breakdowns on “Pit of Anguish” and “Cosmic Wild Hunt” are guaranteed to get fists flying, leaving no wall safe, but aside from that, like I said above, this is Deicide worship at its most orthodox, which honestly, is fine. It could be a hell of a lot worse, and its brief 26 minute runtime certainly helps its case.
So there you have it death metallers. Amidst a crowded playing field of bands that have been feasting upon the corpses of Bolt Thrower and Entombed for far too long, Tormentor Tyrant are guaranteed to have you “Dead by Dawn” with Excessive Escalation of Cruelty. And yes, they truly are a real band, and not just the Hoffman brothers pulling a fast one on good ol’ GB, even though that wouldn’t be too far gone from the realm of possibility. Florida, Finland, Finland, Florida…who’s keeping track these days?
6 out of 10
Label: Everlasting Spew Records
Genre: Death Metal
For fans of: Deicide, Angelcorpse, Hate Eternal
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