Review: “Devilish” by Torture Squad

The second album from the current line up of a band who have been around for the past 33 years, adorned by cover artwork by Marcelo Vasco, a Brazilian illustrator who has already created artworks for Slayer, Dimmu Borgir and Soulfly to name but a few is one of both intrigue and trepidation given the weight of their legacy. Since taking their name from the song “Death Squad” by Sacred Reich back in 1990, the evolution Brazilian Death Thrash merchants Torture Squad has been there for everyone to witness and in 2023 drummer Amilcar Christófaro and bassist Castor remain the longest serving members. They aren’t however original, having joined in 1993 when they released their first demo “A Soul In Hell” but have been around so long that most will forget. Joining them in 2015 were guitarist Rene Simionato and vocalist Mayara Puertas, both of whom brought a wealth of experience from other projects and 2017’s “Far Beyond Existence” was very well received. What now then, six years on?

If there was ever any question about Torture Squad still having what it takes to make a modern Death Thrash record in the here and now, water is poured on those flames pretty quickly with a brutal roar from Puertas as the riffs bring an end to the tribal introduction to “Hell Is Coming“. Sounding like a cross between Carla Harvey of Butcher Babies and Tatiana Shmayluk of Jinjer at her fiercest, Puertas is a force of nature to be reckoned with and while her fleeting clean vocal moments in the heart of this cut wouldn’t have been acceptable for the band in their “Pandemonium” days, here they work incredibly well. The band bring powerhouse percussion with hints of South American flare as you’d expect and while there isn’t a second guitar, there certainly isn’t any lack of punch. The rampaging “Flukeman” maybe oddly titled but it sounds far from it as it ushers in some blasting before slowing down for an extended almost ethereal solo in the final third that is masterful. A slick transition back to the intensity of the earlier part of the tune for one last verse is absolutely magnificent, the four piece not only in their element but oozing class. That is echoed in the blistering “Buried Alive” which is a knuckleduster punch in the face to the naysayers with an earworm Thrash riff that Gary Holt would be proud of and a brutal vocal. Capturing the energy of a live performance when you’re used to the biggest stages isn’t easy but here they’ve nailed it. A tribute to Jiu Jitsu fighter Rickson Gracie, considered one of the greatest legends in of the sport, “Warrior” finds Torture Squad putting on a heavier edged Judas Priest like display, reducing the uncleans and allowing Puertas to show of some 80’s Hair Metal moments. That may deviate from the narrative and sound a little out of place in the context of the album, but it is a solid addition and good fun.

Things turn dark once again pretty quickly with “Sanctuary“, a cut adorned by a little orchestration and has that slow head bang appeal with a dirty groove from the five string bass and plenty of jackhammer footwork from the kit. Mobilizing several musicians related to indigenous causes in their country to collaborate on “Uatumã” proves to be a masterstroke as the voices of the many who grace the track in both English and Portuguese give it a real grit and integrity. As you might expect the tale is one about the constant degradation of the Amazon rainforest and to say they’re not happy about it is the understatement of the year. The cut if fierce and frontloaded with riffs that hit like rocks to the skull, confirming that you can do a protest song tastefully without selling yourself out. “Thoth” references the Egyptian deity, a god of the moon, of reckoning, of learning, and of writing, often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a baboon. A restless and relentless track with some serious percussive punch and ethnic touches, it’s a lethal dose of South American hatred that feels like 2500 volts from an electric chair. If that wasn’t confirmation of how knowledgeable Torture Squad are then “Mabus“, a song about the predecessor to the third antichrist according to Nostradamus is next on the bands agenda. A cut that echoes some of the bands early days, it has another fierce vocal performance at its heart and hints at Black Metal lore lyrically while punching above its weight in Death Metal with a solid groove.

After all that fire and brimstone, the delicate “Find My Way” is an intriguing prospect with flamenco acoustic guitars and soulful clean vocals with 80’s Hard Rock sensibilities. There are a couple of accenting issues from Puertas here and there but that only serves to add to the charm of the track which as you may have guest bursts into flames in the final quarter with the guitars and drums coming crashing down and some savage unclean vocals alongside a face melting solo. There is no doubt that the band take a risk here but it pays off handsomely with powerful if a little predictable contrast making those final moments huge. There is no sucker punch but a palette cleanser in the form of the flamenco guitar instrumental “Gaia“, a short and yet sickly sweet moment with hints of “Nothing Else Matters” by Metallica running through its very soul. “Farewell To Mankind” confirms no end in sight to the experimentation with fretboard melting soloing and bold clean vocal layers thinly veiling what is essentially a poison pen power ballad. Well written with incredible musicianship, it actually sounds like an entirely different band to the one who performed the earlier cuts. A second instrumental, this time a piano piece brings the curtain down on the album with a theatrical sense of drama for “The Last Journey” aches with melancholia. This is devilishly good. [8/10]

Track Listing

1. Hell is Coming
2. Flukeman
3. Buried Alive
4. Warrior
5. Sanctuary
6. Uatumã
7. Thoth
8. Mabus
9. Find My Way
10. Gaia
11. Farewell To Mankind
12. The Last Journey

“Devilish” by Torture Squad is out 22nd September 2023 via Time To Kill Records with pre-orders available over at bandcamp