Vomitory - Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize
Metal Blade
Death Metal
10 songs (40:49)
Release year: 2007
Vomitory, Metal Blade
Reviewed by Kayla

Vomitory tread the Swedish death metal ground inhabited by bands like Entombed and Dismember, eschewing melody for technicality and brutality. They start with a base of blastbeats and layer riffs aplenty, and while it seems fairly straightforward at first listen, such simplicity is a deception; the speed and brutality cover some surprisingly complex passages. Nor is Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize a simple shredfest; a few tracks see a sludgier sensibility arise, and even the faster tracks throw a few unexpected tricks at the listener. While not quite as good as Blood Rapture – their best, in my mind – Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize is a solid slab of death metal.

Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize starts off with no mercy. The opening track, Eternal Trail Of Corpses, is one of the most straightforward tracks on the album and lets the listener know exactly what they’re in for; riffing so fast it easily starts to blur over relentless blastbeats that give way to a face-shredding solo. Unfortunately, this tendency to blur is the album’s biggest weakness; the riffs just come so hard and fast it’s difficult to keep up. The production adds to this, although it’s a double-edged sword. Crystal clarity would certainly have made the riffing easier to follow, but it would have detracted greatly from the atmosphere and tone that the slightly dirty production helps to build. Finding a middle ground in this situation is a difficult task; personally, I think the album would have benefited from a slightly cleaner production; despite the pinpoint accuracy of the individual riffs, the production gives Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize a slightly unfocused quality.

Despite this slight lack of focus, Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize keeps the listener’s ears turned firmly forward. While an entire album as straightforward as the opener would have gotten dull, even with Vomitory’s solid musicianship, things start changing even in the second track, Scavenging The Slaughtered. A sudden, clear lead rises above the morass to deliver an almost Egyptian-touched hook. Such sudden moments of clarity pop up throughout the album, ensuring that your attention is never allowed to wander. The almost-Egyptian sound is continued in the softer intro to March Into Oblivion, although, like all such moments on Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize, it’s not long before the listener is plunged straight back into the bloodbath. Sludgier passages in tracks like Flesh Passion provide an interesting contrast to the hookier leads, as well as a somewhat welcome rest from the speed of the rest of the album; the sludge throughout Whispers From The Dead adds a darkly oppressive dimension.

The vocals, for the most part, are the next thing to incomprehensible, although Erik Rundquist’s deep growl fits perfectly with the tone and speed of the riffing. Of course, that mostly-incomprehensible quality also makes the few instances of clearly understandable lyrics all the more effective, a fact put to very good use. Rundquist’s snarls of “Terrorize, brutalize, sodomize!” on the title track are enough to send shivers of fear playing down one’s spine with their uncompromising evil.

While Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize doesn’t quite reach the height achieved in Blood Rapture, it still rises above the death metal pack to deliver something blisteringly technical, but with enough hooks to keep the more casual death metal fan (as oxymoronic as that phrase might seem) interested. The Swedish sound is alive and well, and certainly doesn’t seem to be in any danger of dying with bands like Vomitory to help carry the banner.

Killing Songs :
Scavenging The Slaughtered, Terrorize Brutalize Sodomize, Cremation Ceremony
Kayla quoted 76 / 100
Other albums by Vomitory that we have reviewed:
Vomitory - Opus Mortis VIII reviewed by Tony and quoted 91 / 100
Vomitory - Carnage Euphoria reviewed by Goat and quoted 81 / 100
Vomitory - Blood Rapture reviewed by Alex and quoted 84 / 100
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