Chronic Torment - Wind of Infections (2008)

Yet another Swedish class act wielding the banner of the old school revival, Chronic Torment deliver their third album with brutal efficiency. Employing a crushing sound that walks the line between early Vader, early Pestilence and a dash of Morbid Angel, they stick out from their peers in that they don't produce the typical Dismember/Entombed worship.

The title track is nihilistic breath of primal savagery with some creepy keyboards akin to something like "Chapel of Ghouls". A great tune. "Born in Sin" begins with a thunderous thrashing before its spring loaded, bouncy verse. "Demonished" opens with a thrust of speed picked necrosis, a killer old school riff which opens into a series of grind chords. Light use of synths is once again made here. "Urban Death" has a slower groove to it which reminded me of classic Bolt Thrower and Napalm Death. "Alcoholocaust" is another death/thrasher with some nice structure to its speed, the uncaged nature of Tommy Alcohol's vocals on this track reminding me of classic Van Drunen. "Blood on My Knife" begins with the best riff of the album, a somber and desolate melody morphing into another semi-thrash verse. The brutal and slow "Abyss" closes the album with some great melodies lending atmosphere as they alternate with a chopping verse riff.

The album is rather short at 25 minutes but I feel like it was time well spent. No filler material, just seven bursts of crispy old school death metal; in and out. The mix is effectively dark to capture the dark, crunching tones of the guitars, the drums have a nice, dry pop to them which complements the chugging and grunting. The band is not afraid to dress up the appropriate segments of their songs with atmospheric keys that never feel excessive or unwarranted. Chronic Torment are a band to watch amidst the old school death metal revival in Europe, their passion for their craft and host of excellent influences have produced an album true to what I consider real death metal. You can sample and download most of their material over at the site linked below.

Verdict: Win [8/10]

http://www.chronictorment.com/