Tuesday March 19th 2024

Tortured Skull – “Ritualistic Guitar Violence”

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Tortured Skull – “Ritualistic Guitar Violence”

 

Tortured Skull describe themselves as “Sodom metal punk riff induced pykosis (sic) from Western Fuckin’ Mass”. And use such tags as speed metal, crust and d-beat.

Which infers that, No!- they are not inspired by Elton John or Ricky Martin but, in fact, play the sorta music that most of the young people I know are into, namely, heavy metal influenced hardcore- including even octogenarian, Andy Bang.

And though I much prefer such soothing sounds as from Mumford & Sons- I sorta like this music, too.

But what really sets this band apart, I feel, is that they really kick ass. And maybe rock’n’roll, meaning the real fifties stuff like Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis. I might tag them with that term, as well. (That is, after I name every single band I can mention, that is unassociated with the music that they play.)

Yeah, they have the guttural vocals that sounds like the devil vomiting into your homemade chicken soup. The slashing guitars, thrashing rhythms and doom laden lyrics that causes your decorated floral display to wilt.

And make no mistake- this music is as intense and ominous as you’d want, as you would expect it to be.

But don’t be surprised if it’s also, a lot of fun and you find yourself rockin’ out. I know, I did.

So be forewarned! And now, let’s dig in and enjoy this treat:

With a pounding lick and a pulverizing, triplet beat, “Uninvited Guest”  barges its’ way in, aggressively, into our aural cavities. What follows is four chords, blasting hard with a guitar squeal at the end of every phrase. The vocals are immensely, intense and continue to be so, into the rockin’ chorus with the lyrics (I think?)- “Till they let you off, you will never be free.” The end pulls back on the velocity but not on the passion or power. The ending part is the best part of the song. “Keep looking over your shoulder.” Okay, maybe it is after the great chorus- either way, my favorite song on this EP.

“Dangerous Game” enters with some foreboding, fuzzed out guitars and energetic, thrash-y rhythms. There’s a guitar scrape and some terrific, bubbling bass, too. And a chorus where it mentions a “nuclear standoff” and how it’s a “dangerous game.” There’s a breakdown part with the lyrics, “Mass destruction…
radiation,” with some trilling, grind guitar added. After this the song kicks into overdrive with an awesome, lick leading us to safety and the end of, maybe not life, but at least to the end of this potently, powerful song.

“Realm Of The Witch” begins all mysterious like, but once the music kicks in we’re off on a moderate, intense rock beat with a doom-y, dissonant chord passage along with growling, attacking vocals. This song sounds like a leopard leaping out at you, hidden in the night. There’s a headbanging, breakdown that slowly, brings the intensity back up to a boil. This is another great tune.

“Dragged Down” starts with a few, heavy minor chords within a doom ridden Black Sabbath like dirge. But soon a guitar that sounds like a dentist drill zooming down into your cranium leads us onto another thrashin’, hardcore romp. Lyrics sound like to me, “Byjig by rye me shosh re jounge.” But I feel I’m probably incorrect with my transcription. But I feel I am correct in reporting that this song has the trilling guitar of grindcore, the pushing rhythms of hardcore and thrash and the passionate, violent vocals of death and hardcore. And a song that draws on all of these inspirations to create a perfect, original whole.

Tortured Skull are a very able band and an awesome one, as well.

They take the angst and aggression of hardcore, of metal and thrash- coupled with the pure excitement of punk and rock’n’roll.

I’m kind of surprised that I’ve been unaware of this band and actually, perhaps they’re a lot more well-known than I am aware.

Either way, this is a great band with great material presented in a powerfully, effective way.

If their style of music entices you, I can’t imagine it wouldn’t satisfy you- quench your musical thirst.

Cheers to the lads in Tortured Skull for a job well done, and if you check them out-

I predict your ears will soon be swimming in ecstatic, ecstasy!

Man overboard!

(Slimedog)

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