TORTURE „Storm Alert”

Music Type: Thrash
Website: www.tortureband.com
Favorite songs: Dwell in Surreality, Terror Kingdom, Storm Alert
Country of Origin: United States
contact: www.myspace.com/tortureband
Discography: 1987: “Terror Kingdom E.P.”
1989: “Storm Alert”

TORTURE released two albums in the late eighties— the “Terror Kingdom” E.P. and “Storm Alert” full length. It is 2006 and Escapi music has reissued the forgotten thrash gem “Storm Alert.” Why did this potentially classic thrash album go unnoticed? Could an over saturation of bands in the genre be the problem? Whatever the reason for its one-time obscurity, it is back now and at the perfect time. Thrash is currently going through a revival with legions of bands playing slayer riffs, donning old-school METALLICA shirts for photo shots and live performances, and Ozzfest finally opening the door for real metal bands.

Not only has “Storm Alert” been unleashed unexpectedly upon headbangers, it has received an upgrade. Production legend, Neil Kernon (JUDAS PRIEST, CANNIBAL CORPSE, NILE, NEVERMORE) has manned the controls to create a remarkable remix. Alan Douches (SEPULTURA, THE MISFITS, SHADOWS FALL, MASTODON) mastered the album, and Bill Metoyer (SLAYER, SACRED REICH) produced two unreleased tracks. Adding to the list of accolades is the proclaimed world fastest guitar shredder, Michael Angelo Batio showing off his amazing solo skills on one of the album’s best tracks 'Dwell in Surreality.'

The album’s intro makes the quality of the album’s sound apparent. Dramatic keyboard passages and “Omen” like choirs sound good enough for use on any film score. This theatrical beginning may get mind to open its metal file recalling the spectacular intro to KING DIAMONDS’s mega-hit album “Them.” 'Ignominious Slaughter' is a thrash metal sprint, racing against speed metal legends like POSSESSED, DARK ANGEL, and NUCLEAR ASSAULT. Justin Dudra challenges the arm-cramping speed of Dave Lombardo on the fastest moments of “Reign in Blood.”

Tortured Tom truly sounds tortured on the KING DIAMOND-like piercing wail he lets off after the first chorus. The tortured one’s vocals are very palatable. He uses the trademark ‘80s thrash vocal snarl, but his voice has a lower, gruffer pitch. 'Dwell in Surreality' is over-the-top Tortured Tom death metal growling such lyrics as, “Close your eyes/and dream of happy things/like wonderful waterfalls/and colorful rainbows.” His accent of the last syllable of “rainbows” is very ironic. This must be the first time a death metal singer growled “rainbows” and “waterfalls.” He sounds a bit like Beavis, which in a way makes this track even more demented. The grinding, low-end death metal riff was probably inspired by DEATH or PESTILENCE because not many other bands, if any at all, were riffing in this style in 1989. The chorus is psychotic yet humorous. It has the same type of off-the-wall madhouse shenanigans as Exodus’ “Deranged.”

Other highlights include the melodic passages found on 'Blood Portraits' and 'Storm Alert.' 'Terror Kingdom' is TORTURE at its creative peak. The said song begins with a narrator speaking in an unknown tongue to the tune of black mass keyboards and thunder booming in the background. His words sound like a ritualistic passage from the “The Satanic Bible.” Every member of the four-man band fly along at the same dizzying pace SLAYER perfected on neck snapping tracks like 'Reborn' and 'Hell Awaits.' TORTURE flawlessly shifts the tempo, using a most fitting lyric for a tempo break, “I will take you down,” which leads to a steadfast, thrash gallop.

“Storm Alert” is a trip back to the days when heavy metal was about longhair, jean jackets, converse high tops, white jeans, Members Only jackets, leather, silly poses, and no bullshit metal. The fads of the time are shown within the album’s linear note. Except for the added notes, the lyric sheet was surely taken from the original tape because they have that tape look that many a Combat Records tape contained with the same small, white font style. The packaging enhances the feeling of nostalgia listeners who grew up listening to metal in the ‘80s are bound to feel. The music is an alluring type of music that many bands try to recreate, but just can’t retain that past feeling. “Storm Alert” is the real fuckin’ deal!

note: 9.5/10

Tracklist

1.Intro
2.Ignominious Slaughter
3.Dwell Into Surreality
4.Blood Portraits
5.Slay Ride
6.Terror Kingdom
7.Storm Alert
8.Enter the Chamber
9.Whips Pt.1
10.Whip Pt.2
11.Deceiver

Line-up

Tom Hicks – Guitars
Deric Gunter – bass
Justin – drums
Nick – guitars