Another gem from Australian label Battlegod productions (the people who bought you Harm and Herratik), ‘Torture Death Cult’ is the work of Tyrant Wrath, a Swedish black metal band and, remarkably, it is their debut. Formed in 2007 from the ashes of Martyrum, Tyrant Wrath is the brain child of Kim C (guitars/bass) and Adde (vocals) accompanied, on this particular trip, by Jocke Olofsson who has a long and varied relationship with the extreme metal scene. Focusing on bleak sonic firestorms and devastating antichristian lyrics, Tryant wrath look set to make a strong name for themselves on the black metal scene.
‘Hollow’ opens the album with the sounds of feral screeches and distorted voices before the guitars kick in with a brutality that is breathtaking. All the typical black metal standards are intact with angular riffs, darkly enigmatic vocals and brutal drums but the band put their own spin on proceedings with complex time changes and disorientating song structures adding to the unsettling and malicious air of intent. This is carried over into the lurching ‘death’s lair’ – a storming and brilliant track that recalls the majesty of Emperor coupled with the air of ancient decay found on Burzum’s more recent output thanks to Adde’s amazing and powerful vocals. The guitars are expertly played and the whole thing tied together with a deep, rich production that gives the music a singular power and sense of simmering violence although the fade outs at the end of several tracks felt rather sudden which rather damaged the flow. ‘The dark past’ is a shorter track but no less hard-hitting with a mind-boggling time change introducing a devastating riff that perfectly counterpoints the more sedate pace found on the rest of the track highlighting the technical proficiency of the band. Better still is the epic, blistering ‘the ravens are rising’ which, by turns, recalls the sheer weight of Satyricon and the warped sensibilities of Darkthrone over a blackened five minute journey into the very heart of darkness that represents the core of the band. It’s a particular highlight with a surging, grinding riff that will instantly appeal to black metal fans whilst Adde’s vocals remain truly awe-inspiring.
Having scorched the very earth with the previous track, Tyrant wrath go on to unleash further pain with ‘hellfuck’ a brutal, slashing attack on the senses that barely has a chance to register before ‘till Intet’ a darker, deeper trip into the depths via another grinding monster of a riff slams into you before heading off in another direction entirely with a furious, bone-rattling riff providing a suitably apocalyptic backdrop for Adde’s terrifying proclamations. The title track is better still – the warped guitars hiding a subtle yet intricate melody whilst Jokke’s percussive genius continues to impress, and a final, beautiful acoustic coda showcases a more intricate sensibility to the band’s work than initial listens might suggest. ‘Revelation of life’ meanwhile offers no such grandiloquent escapism, the guitars instead forming a seething, nihilistic barrage that threatens to overwhelm for its four minute run time all of which only barely prepares you for the monumental closer – ‘I, Above’ which overshadows the rest of the album from a towering height – all chugging guitars, guttural screams and powerful drumming. If the album featured this track alone, it’d be worth your time, that the other tracks all lead you to this final, remarkable point must be considered something of a bonus.
‘Torture Death Cult’ is an album of extremity. There is little here to appease those after an easy ride, rather this is antichristian rhetoric taken to brutal heights via the symphonic might of Emperor, the crushing nihilism of Satyricon and the frozen horrors of Darkthrone. That Tyrant wrath can successfully integrate such influences so successfully on a debut is a testament to their skill, integrity and passion and black metal fans will find much to admire in this lengthy, intricate work. An album to treasure and a blackened work of genius from a band who will hopefully continue to grow, ‘torture death cult’ is a worthy and powerful release indeed.
