In Torment
Diabolical Mutilation of Tormented Souls
8.3
Brazilian death metal, when done right, will most assuredly kick your ass, my ass, and the collective asses of everyone we associate ourselves with. It’s just the way it goes whether any of us like it or not. In Torment fit the bill. They’re everything you want in a death metal band that prefers to write great songs first, and worry about the blastbeat quota and satanic rape references later, if at all. There’s a whole lot of dirt on the gem that is Diabolical Mutilation Of Tormented Souls, and for some of us, we couldn’t ask for anything more.
I suppose the derivative nature of In Torment’s style of death metal could be pointed to as a negative, because I’m hearing a ton of Incantation and Cannibal Corpse here. After a few more concentrated listens, however, Diabolical…begins to take on a more individual, frenzied identity, no matter how well trodden the path may be. Aires Trajanno throws down some damn entertaining double-bass patterns right out the gate with “Grotesque Defacement”, but on the next track “Everlasting Spiritual Anguish”, Aires and his bandmates start showing off their greatest strength, which is cleverly placed rhythmic breaks (right @1:50, I think) performed with excellent precision. This album is just full of those cool start/stop breaks, and unlike lesser bands, they do it without sounding like your CD player needs a major cleaning. Crisp, clean, well-defined structure is all you’ll find.
Technically speaking, there is no weak link in the band. Guitarists Rafael Giovanoli and Alexandre Graessler, fly all over the place with stellar solos toward the conclusion of “Insane Perceptions”, blend in devious leads during the technical workout of “Enigmatical Resurrection”, and lay down some downright lethal rhythm through the whole damn album. They take the virtuosity of groups such as Anata, or Necrophagist, breaking down the technical elements to their smoothest aggressive components, and roll with it from there by meshing with traits found in the common sense songwriting employed by Death and Obituary. It’s a nearly flawless marriage of deft musicianship, and flat out bone crushing power, highlighted best on the ferocious “Horrors of a Perverse Existence”.
The production is a little on the pedestrian side, mostly concerning the drum sound (the snare is a little weak, cymbals are loud yet thin) in order to do justice to the superb performance of Trajanno, who compliments now-departed bassist Leandro Rosseti in a remarkably tight way. Despite less than awesome production, by the time the incredible closing track “The Curse” slams its way home, mix issues are hardly a failing fault overall, and many will have no problem with the sound. In Torment have crafted a disc I wouldn’t mind owning myself. Even though death metal rarely thrills me, I can’t deny the fact that Diabolical Mutilation Of Tormented Souls is a fucking good album, and one that definitely strengthens the year-end surge of respectable quality which metal as a whole is currently experiencing. Recommended.
