Torture Killer
FOR MAGGOTS TO DEVOUR

November 2003
Released: 2003, Karmageddon Media
Rating: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Luxi Lahtinen

Death Metal knows neither boundaries nor there´s enough of an old-school Death Metal available nowadays into vein of the golden era of the ´90s Death Metal style. Or is there actually? Well, at least Torture Killer is still a pleasant addition to that pile as these Finnish maggot grinders and flesh-ripping goreheads have obviously understood more than well how this ´90s sounding Death Metal is supposed to sound like. Quite surprisingly indeed, they don´t remind me of any Scandinavian Death Metal acts with a familiar ´90s-style swamped into their fat-ass heavy sound. Not at all, but it´s actually a band like Obituary that could be pointed as Torture Killer´s biggest and clearest influence. Some hints toward Six Feet Under´s direction could be thrown as well ´coz Torture Killer´s vocalist, named Liuke, growls almost as low and deep as Mr. Barnes himself. But I like Liuke´s guttural growls a bit better. Why? I wish I could explain you that, but I can´t, sorry. Barnes´ voice hasn´t ever been too much into my liking either, so maybe that´s why?



As for stand-out songs on FOR MAGGOTS TO DEVOUR, it´s kind of a hard task from me to pin them down because overall these 5 rotten flesh messiahs have apparently tried to make the songs sound equally strong, powerful, brutal, vile and damn heavy in its entirety and they haven´t failed a bit with their noble plans either. But however, such songs as “Flesh Breaks to Open Wounds”, “Motivated to Kill” and let´s say “Strangulation” definitely wipe off a stupid-looking smug from your face within seconds by a kiloton of ´extra dose´ of brutality and sheer heaviness and that some other similar caliber albums unfortunately just don´t include at all.



The band´s bone-crushing riffs and dead-heavy tempos just roll you over somewhat determinedly through the whole album and through the 9 songs that they have recorded for this incredibly enjoyable and positively surprising Death Metal opus. If you are fond of Obi´s slowly rotting Death Metal stuff and can even accept Barnes type of growls around the music, then Torture Killer has definitely been made for you. Fuckin´ ace quality Death Metal shit I say that prolongs a heritage for the mid ´90s Floridian Death Metal style a fantastic way!!



Join the flesh feast together with Torture Killer now (... preferably in thousands of tiny pieces, of course!!).