Tortharry – Sinister Species (MetalGate Records)
Tuesday, 30th January 2018
Releasing a steady stream of death metal albums since 1994, Czech act Tortharry have certainly seen the years go by and trends come and go. After the longest absence in their career (5 years), the band has returned to deliver the successor to Follow, with Sinister Species being their 9th overall effort.
They say consistency is key, and Tortharry aren’t about to pull an about face with their material. Rooted just as much in the ‘90s death metal scene as it is today’s, Sinister Species is all about brutality. As good death metal should be. Instead of wading through labyrinthine riffing or technically-driven material, Tortharry offer a straight-forward attack focusing on the basics. Those basics being solid songwriting chops that bring out catchy grooves when needed, alongside subtle melodies that don’t eschew the aggressive nature of the material, with a side of brevity (with tracks keeping to the 3-4 minute mark). Despite the traditional nature of the material, it’s a winning formula for a reason. Energized songs like “Deceitful Sermons” can blister and blast away to fuel the adrenaline, yet can easily slow things down into a bludgeoning crawl to provide the necessary diversity.
No wankery, no keyboards, no bullshit. Just trend-free and uncompromising death metal that succeeds in devastating the listener. There’s far too few of these types of bands covering this no-frills ground. Tortharry are the genuine article, with two decades of experience behind them. Dive into Sinister Species if you want timeless death metal that doesn’t sound dated.
