Reviewed - 08/15/05

Tempest of Torment
[Crash Music]

Sweden’s Relentless clearly displays their influences in their band photo. Guitarist/vocalist M. Anderson dons a Cannibal Corpse t-shirt and drummer P. Svensson sport a Malevolent Creation tee. Any guess to whom relentless sound akin?

Perhaps a tad out of place in 2005, Relentless dishes death metal out like the Florida of past. Pummeling riffs, a salvo of blast beats and lyrics about murder, madness, mayhem, and the occasional zombie revival. They deliver impressive Florida inspired death metal tracks without any hesitation or attempts to push the envelope. If you like bands like Malevolent Creation, you’ll get a charge out of tracks like “Dreadful.” “Zombie Genocide” is another great track that will cause most death metal fans to claim that the track is a lost Fisher-era Cannibal Corpse song. Especially when M. Anderson belts out a “Zombie Genociiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide.” The Obituary-esque doom and Suffocation-esque death aspects of “ At War” blend together perfectly and oddly sound like black metal at times. But what makes this album work is that the band speeds along at a hurried pace and the riffs are have that perfect death with complexity style that comes nowhere near the melodic side of death metal. Also, the solos, when there are solos, are well chosen and placed carefully into the songs. For example the solo and subsequent breakdown on “Crippled” is nothing short of awesome.

Production wise, Relentless really lacks that thick sound that is so prevalent today. The thin Scott Burns sound is painfully out of date and really drags on the music at times. But I have a sneaking suspicion that Relentless is trying to conjure up visions of Morrisound Studios packed with swirling hair and shredded denim, rather than tight shirts and crew cuts.

Part of Relentless’ charm is that they play tried and true Florida style death metal and they play it well. Call me biased or showing favoritism, but when new bands are trying to push the envelope in countless different directions and add new elements to metal, sometimes regression amidst progression is refreshing. And while waiting for new Malevolent Creation and Cannibal Corpse albums, “Tempest of Torment” is a great stopgap. Plus it is great fun to put it in the player with your nearest and dears death metal purists and try to name which Relentless riff was influenced by what established act.

But if you aren’t into any of the bands cited in this review, I suggest skipping this album.