Chaos Corporation

So in an effort to hype their masterpiece Hellbound, Torture Squad decided to release a single. And this is a great representative of their new, more-tech thrash less-dm approach.

Wait, what? Back the fuck up! Tech-fucking-thrash!? Yep, just when you think they couldn't top Pandemonium, they unleash an even more technical thrashier album! And the two songs from Hellbound are friggin' boss.

Title track "Chaos Corporation" is up first, and the cleaner production graces thine ears. Now the drums are produced so that you can follow every single one of Cristofaro's octopodial drum fills. The guitar tone is now more trebly and is a bit crunchier, damn I want that tone. Vocalist man is still the same but now his delivery is clearer. Bass is still there but slightly buried.

So how does the song sound? OK, imagine Pandemonium only a LOT cleaner, throw in some Atheist-y holy effin' Christ drum chops with a Mille with iron balls on vox and a Sepultura-meets-TDNH-era-Dark-Angel riffing and deeeeelicious melodic solos sprinkled on top of that riff akin to what Marc Sifringer does in Destruction only add in a dash of Altus or Glenn Tipton(!) for extra melodicness. Sounds like an orgasm waiting to happen right? Wrong, it sounds like friggin' Jehovah comin' down from the Primum Mobili and saying "My Son, verily shall I now bestow upon thee the multitudinous pleasures of Paradise in under 5 minutes." And out comes the 72 virgins the Bible (not that bible, the Muslim one,) promised and they all look like Adriana Lima! Yes boys and girls, it's that awesome. It's just so far beyond awesome that awesome-tastic can't even begin to touch this song. Listen damn it! "Invisible power of manipulation/Controlling the masses with fake information/IN FACT alienation!" that riffset is simply the best tremolo riff...period. Yeah eat that "Pleasure to Kill" and every single damn black metal riff ever written (I'm lookin' at you Vikernes!)

The next song is even better! "The Beast Within" cops a riff from "Mad Butcher" but it's all good, the double bass drum fill under that riff is re-donk-ulous. My jaw has been unhinged ever since I've heard this song nigh on a year ago. The solo in this 'un is EVEN MORE melodic than anything Torture Squad has ever done. And if you don't like that, then stay outta thrash you goddamn poser! This song is like "Horror and Torture" but add in Destruction (primarily 'cause of that nicked riff,) or even a hint of Sodom in certain places. Yes children, Hellbound is THE greatest thing to come out of Brazil, 'cause this single promises only awesome and Torture Squad DELIVERED!

Last two songs are from their demo and they didn't even re-record them. "Obskure/A Soul in Hell" sounds pretty damn bad, but hey it's a demo track. The band showed some hints of their future greatness even in their early days, though it is buried under some annoying brutal DM tendencies (slower than their latter efforts, less melodic, not even up to The Unholy Spell in terms of thrash.) They really should have done something to the demo tracks 'cause they pale in comparison to the Hellbound tracks.

"Suffocation" continues literally where the previous song left off and is pretty similar though the death metal elements are more overt in this 'un. I can definitely understand why Torture Squad opted for a thrashier direction with succinct song structures and melody. It's not that it's awful, it's just a little meandering towards the 3:00 mark, though the solo is still awesome and Cristofaro is still godly back then.

Should you buy this? Not really, I mean it's probably more for those who want to collect than serious listeners because Hellbound has the 2 important songs from here. If you listened/bought that album then there's really no reason for you to buy this. Course, since this single is only available in Brazil means most of us won't actually have a chance to buy it (unless you trade for it or special order.) So I guess what I'm trying to say is that while the music is fantastic, the single is now moot because the album's out and it's got all the worthwhile songs.

Anyway, if you want the demo tracks go ahead and buy/download/steal this from blogspot or something.