Torture Division - Evighetens Darar
Abyss Records
Death Metal
10 songs (27'43")
Release year: 2010
Reviewed by Alex

Torture Division is made up of “who’s who” in Swedish death metal scene. Bassist and vocalist Jörgen Sandström (Entombed, Grave, The Project Hate MCMXCIX), guitarist Lord K Philipson (God Among Insects, Dark Funeral, The Project Hate MCMXCIX) and drummer Tobias Gustafsson (Vomitory, God Among Insects, and, the uniting theme here, The Project Hate MCMXCIX) need no introduction, and the name of the outfits in those parentheses above say it all. I actually had a chance to correspond with Kenth Philipson once directly, when he sent me his unequivocal “fuck you” after I criticized the Satariel Hydra release which scored highly on Kenth’s own zine. Having exchanged pleasantries we managed to patch things up having discovered mutual admiration for Swedish hockey players representing their country so ably in the NHL.

Staying on the sports tangent, it is fun being on a team of old farts and play some young and spry pups, when, without being flashy, we can beat the younger dudes by communicating effortlessly and reaching deep into the experience well. So is the case with Torture Division. As much as Evighetens Darar is an old bag of tricks, the draw of their nasty meaty old-school Swedish death metal is undeniable. The masters don’t dwell on details and move on from song to song pretty quickly. Evighetens Darar is the collection of the three demos, recorded over last two years, and it is also a collection of ideas and statements about the genre. Reflecting on all those bigger name bands the Swedes play in, the bloody flesh is thrown in all directions on the album, to cover classic Swedish death, D-beat and grindcore in equal parts. Heretics!Now! announces itself with a blast, provides a middle reprieve and then rides on with a blasphemous contempt. Eld Och Plagor grinds on slower, with a measured cadence, but the smashing across the face action is no less. Total Death Punishment ups both the speed and brutality, while Overtorture is groovy and in your face with its distinct grindmocking fashion and smirking bass. The latest of the demos is a little drier in its delivery, a little less sloppy and chunky, but Dan Swano, the sound producer, managed to bring all three demos to a common sound denominator.

It is obvious that Torture Division are as much fans of what they do as they are purveyors. They need to make music like on Evighetens Darar, it is in their DNA. The same could be said about all bands involving Robban Karlsson or Rogga Johansson, Laethora and, drumroll, Bloodbath. Torture Division are strictly of the same ilk, even if they choose to put out a bunch of demos, then compile them in full-length albums. The tact may be different, but the end result is one bellowing Swedish death metal we have come to know and love.

Killing Songs :
Heretics!Now!, Eld Och Plågor, Overtorture (Bound to Be Dead)
Alex quoted 78 / 100
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