Feasting on Blood

I have always had a preference for European (especially Dutch) bands in death metal, and it wasn't going to be different with this pretty much brutal Dutch band, Severe Torture. This is intense brutal death metal, quite fast and aggressive, pretty technical with a touch of melody (not that Gothenburg kind of melody though), and somehow Cannibal Corpse (Eaten Back to Life era) oriented.

Guitar riffs are fast and twisted but easily recognizable, not the intricate type. There's a hint of melody in the riffs, which makes this album more interesting since it's not just cold fast chugging. This "melodic" approach gives a different ambient to the album; the music in this album is actually very brutal, but it steps aside of the ultra brutal side of the scene. The guitars are quite catchy as well and are recorded very balanced with the rest of the instruments.

Bass guitar is pick-played and it follows guitars note by note, but to my surprise it's clearly audible, unlike what's usual in death metal. I can't understand why bass guitar is usually so easily covered by the rest of the instruments in death metal, given the fact that a louder bass will provide an even more powerful sound to the band. That's why I pay some extra attention to bands with a really present bass like Severe Torture. Bass guitar here is pretty distorted but it's very present throughout the whole record, adding for the brutal result. As usual in the genre, there are also some bass solos in the beginning of some tracks.

Drums are fast, aggressive and brutal. There are fast double bass drums and blast beats almost on every track, and varied fills, rolls and drum patterns, with varied use or crashes and an extensive use of raid almost everywhere, but I don't find that a flaw (at least in this record). The overall speed here is quite fast, but there are also some tempo changes from nearly doomy parts (very few and far between), some mid-tempos to hyper fast blasting brutality, really varied so that the band never gets boring.

Vocals are pretty brutal, being always deep growls; the typical death metal ogre, deep, low and brutal with very few variation, yet quite catchy even though he's not understandable. Lyrics are the typical in death metal: violent, gore-oriented and some antirreligious, not as much as Deicide though, but a little blaspheme.

Definitely, a great debut from a brutal Dutch act. If you like your death metal pretty brutal, aggressive and technical yet original, you shouldn't miss this album out. Highly recommended!!

Severe Torture is another brutal and sick band from the Netherlands. They are very good competitors with their fellow country mates of Disavowed and Pyaemia. This CD is all about fast passed drumming, catchy; technical fast picking riffs and deep vocals.The drummer is brilliant. His feet don’t stop!! It seems like he just won’t tire out. The sounds of the bass drums aren’t much to my liking. Personally I prefer a triggered sound like that of Decrepit Birth and Hate Eternal, but it gives the drummer a very unique sound since I never heard any other band with the same set-up as his.

The best track in this album is by far,”Butchery of the Soul”. It has loads of good riffs, which are fitted perfectly with the drumbeats. The riffs in this song are very catchy yet pretty complex and anyone who listens to this song is bound to want to hear it over and over again.The cover art is brutal and grave whilst the recording is much more than passable. I recommend this CD to any brutal death metal fans.