Vomitory

Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize

Reviewed By Justin Donnelly
Published 22/05/2007

Their finest death metal release to date

While death metal continues to transform and mutate into a whole host of different sub-genres, it's refreshing to see that old school death metal isn't lost to experimentation on some of the forefathers of the scene, especially in the case of long running Swedish act Vomitory. Over their eighteen year existence (Which in that time has seen the veteran group produce five full length albums and a split seven inch E.P. with Murder Corporation), Vomitory have remained true to the traditional Swedish death metal sound, which as has earned the band a dedicated legion of followers who know exactly what's in store for them with every new release.

However, with the departure of original guitarist Ulf Dalegren in 2005, and the eventual recruitment of new guitarist Peter Östlund (Who is also a member of Swedish thrash outfit The Law), Vomitory (Who also comprise of vocalist/bassist Erik Rundqvist, guitarist Urban Gustafsson and drummer Tobias Gustafsson) have taken the opportunity to make some slight adjustments to their usual approach to song writing for their sixth album Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize (The follow up to 2004's Primal Massacre), and it works incredibly well.

There's no mistaking Vomitory's trademark sound in the opening number Eternal Trail Of Corpses with the incredibly fast paced riffing, the relentless drumming and Rundqvist guttural growls showing no mercy from the moment the song begins, while Scavenging The Slaughtered manages to inflect even more damage, with only a brief thirty second breakdown in the middle of the song offering any reprieve from the continual onslaught. March Into Oblivion and Whispers From The Dead show the first signs of change within the band's sound, with the speed tapered down to a mid-paced groove without losing any of the potent aggression the band is renown for, while the title track Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize, Heresy and the closing number Cremation Ceremony easily stand out as some of the fastest material Vomitory have laid down to date.

With a greater variation evident (Tempo wise) throughout the ten tracks on offer, the quality song structures (Not a single riff or song sounds below Vomitory's usual high standard) and a stellar production (Courtesy of Rikard Löfgren), Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize is easily one of Vomitory's finest releases, and a true testament to the old school death metal values that few truly hold in today's scene.

(Metal Blade Records/Stomp Records Distribution)