Basement Torture killings
The Second Cumming

May 2011
Released: 2011, Arcane Productions
Rating: 3.0/5
Reviewer: Metal-Rules.com UK Team

Following the death metal and horror infused prowess of 2008’s debut album The First Cumming, the quartet have returned with a follow up that further shapes their signature style.



The Second Cumming opens with a narrative that resembles a horror movie script, a literary technique that is pervasive throughout the record. ‘Human Body part jewellery’ wastes no time in its execution of sonic driven death metal that is guided by a versatile and infectious growl. This becomes broken by more spoken dialogue which leads to an impressive solo that highlights one of the band’s specialities.



This formulaic approach drives the album forward into many news avenues as each member locks their instrumentation into cohesive whole. ‘The Burner’ opens in a controlled manner before bursting into a flurry of speedy riffs and grind technicalities that are reminiscent of Cannibal Corpse.



Much of the record permits itself as a valuable accessory to any tech/death metal fan’s collection, ‘Stab wounds to the face’, with its bombarding drums and lightning striking solo’s that culminate into a layer of shrieks that ascend from hell and into any great horror screen. Meanwhile, ‘The Trucker’ throws the listener between a dialogue of two characters debating over who gets to ride in the front, to which the “pretty young lady” (who gets the front seat) starts speaking half way through the song’s chaos. This was an interesting dynamic which helped to widen the narrative side of the record’s script.



However this is not something an album without faults. Most of the tracks fall into this generic pattern of these aforementioned qualities. After some time it does become tiresome and even hard to differentiate one part of Basement Torture Killing’s story from another. While these guys throw many ideas into the blender with a blood spattering on the walls effect, it does appear to lose its momentum at times.



This being said, fans of hard hitting riffs and piercing solos that will let their air-guitar tendencies out for show, while mosh activists will no doubt wreak havoc at their shows.



Review: Ben Spencer