20 Buck Spin - 2018
8/10
Don’t you love when a Cannibal Corpse worship band is better than the majority of their entire discography? Hot take, I know. But the latest effort from Torture Rack scratches an itch that no album beyond the classic death metallers’ debut can reach. Titled Malefic Humiliation, this takes every effort it can to churn out track after track of festering filth and discomfort through themes of physical torture or psychological stench. Not uncommon in death metal, but it’s still nice when it’s executed well.
Matching the subject matter with marshy, thick riffs that abrase the skin, Torture Rack leave no instrument behind. Sections that drop the tempo and use the bass for fills make the strongest impression. Oftentimes, this is paired with a faster, punk-inspired section or quick tremolo blasts used in a repetitive way. Serious grooves can be found in “Masked In Leeches,” especially as the back half of this song winds in some cleaner licks before going out on one of the heaviest moments.
Really, this is what I love so much about Malefic Humiliation; there’s no shortage of rhythmic brutality. Typically, your gore-obsessed OSDM bands are going to do all they can to focus on that aspect, leaving much to be desired in the music itself. You won’t come across that here. Instead, different approaches are taken, presenting the feelings of the horrific lyrics through instrumentation. Shorter bursts like “Found In Feces'' will power away with thrashier, almost Slayer-like spines, while longer “Corpse Revenge” types will doom out under this death metal umbrella to crippling degrees. Everything being kept to a nice, digestible twenty-seven minutes helps wonderfully.
It should be pretty obvious who this would appeal to. Anyone into the OSDM sounds, particularly the Florida inspired ones, are gonna want to lend their ears. Fans of Coffin Rot, Witch Vomit, and the likes especially should seek it out.
Listen here -> Bandcamp
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