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Torture Division: Evighetens dårar

03/10/12 || BamaHammer

I’m just going to preface this by echoing Daemo’s sentiments about any possible bias that one may sense during this review. But seriously, I’m going to try to keep it as non-partisan as possible.

First of all, we all know Torture Division. You’re at Global Domination’s neck of the woods, so that much should be pretty obvious. If you don’t, well, first you’re retarded, and second you’re missing out. Big time. This is a band of dudes that prides themselves on creating the world’s best death metal, and when an album like this serves as their argument, it’s pretty fucken difficult to say otherwise.

Here’s the skinny. The vocals and bass are handled by the best growler in the world (who somehow finished second on this list, for fuck’s sake), Jörgen Sandström. The sheer power and brutality his vocal chords are capable of producing is mind-boggling, and he’s responsible for some of the best extreme vocals ever captured on record. The guitars are handled by Ibanez Xiphos lover/MMA enthusiast, Lord K Philipson, a man who I’m thinking you should probably know if you’re reading this review on this particular domain of the internets. And the drums are absolutely ripped to shreds by one of the best and most underrated drummers/rhythmic dynamos of the last decade, Tobias Gustafsson of Vomitory. Just reading this band’s lineup aloud can break a hymen.

As you may also already know, “Evighetens Dårar” is essentially the tidy compilation of three demos that were released by Torture Division between 2009 and 2010 by the same name. However, from the first moment you hear this material, you’ll quickly realize there’s nothing very “demo” about it, if you know what I mean. This is some excellent, extremely high quality stuff.

With a band that features members with résumés like this, then clearly the talent is there in all departments. These are veteran death metallers who know a thing or fifty about death metal songwriting and technical chops and whatnot. In addition to that, though, the album itself sounds utterly amazing. Just knowing that it was mastered and mixed by the great Dan Swanö, you should already know the quality that you’ll find in the production department. All the levels are perfect, the guitar sound is massive, the drums virtually explode from the speakers, and the bass possesses a bright, punchy clarity that does nothing but put a smile on my face whenever I hear it.

This album is 10 tracks (well 9 if you don’t count the epic 9-second “The Axe Murderer”) of what can truly be considered the best death metal the world has to offer. Every single riff is brutally relentless and catchy as hell. Tobben Gustafsson pulverizes the drum kit and lays down the groove in a way that only he can. And Jörgen Sandström uses his throat to punish and destroy anything in his path. You don’t get anything fancy here. No grandiose programmed electronics, no cleanly sung operas, no sweet little interludes.

I’ll admit, that “With Endless Wrath We Bring Upon Thee Our Infernal Torture” left a little something to be desired. It’s a fantastic record, but “Evighetens Dårar” is in a completely different universe. This is fucken flawless Swedish death metal in its purest sense. And it’s some of the best you’ll find anywhere in the world. Ever. Get this album. It’s fucken free for one thing, but fuck that. Buy a disc. You owe them that much just for making an album this close to sheer death metal perfection.

9,5

Information
Released: 2010
Label: Abyss
Website: www.torturedivision.net
Band
Jörgen Sandström: vocals, bass
Lord K. Philipson: guitars
Tobias Gustafsson: drums

Tracklist
01. Traumatic Inhuman Severance
02. Heretics! Now!
03. Eld Och Plågor
04. Total Death Punishment
05. Overtorture (Bound to Be Dead)
06. Righteous Fore Ensemble
07. The Axe Murderer
08. Under Fire Command
09. Ravishing Rampage Sluts
10. Evighetens Dårar

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