Customer Reviews

Swarm

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Considering Chris Barnes fronts both bands, it's only natural that some fans would call Torture Killer a caricature of Six Feet Under, and say that these songs are Six Feet Under out takes. Torture Killer may be similar to SFU in some ways (mainly because both bands have frog throated vocals and gore-y lyrics), but "Swarm!" is also different in several ways. In fact, I believe that this album is actually better than Six Feet Under's last album, "13." For one, Barnes' vocals are quite a bit stronger, and more monstrous and visceral. Next, as track six ("Sadistic") shows, these drums wallop harder. And, finally, Barnes appears to be improving his skills as a producer, because "Swarm!" definitely has the better production of the two discs.

The album opens with the title track, which is a pounding, churning instrumental. Later on, "Forever Dead" and the aforementioned "Sadistic" have blistering, machine gun riffs; songs like "A Funeral For The Masses" and "Obsessed With Homicide" sport deep, surging grooves with fiery guitar licks; and, lastly, "Cannibal Gluttony" boasts a brutal, buzzsaw guitar attack and is capped off by a shrill, piecing shriek from Chris.

Torture Killer may be a side project, and some fans may think of them as a second-hand band, but "Swarm!" is quality death metal, and easily one of the finest death metal albums of 2006 so far. So, if you enjoy this album for what it is, you'll realize it isn't very original, but it is pretty darn awesome!

Torture Killer has returned and this time legendary death metal vocalist Chris Barnes of Cannibal Corpse/Six Feet Under fame is lending his signature vocal sound. The song structure on these songs is repetitive and follows a verse, chorus, verse, solo, type of format, so it is more predictable, but that is the style that is being played. Torture Killer, like Six Feet Under, specialize in the slow brutal riffs that you can just headbang and go along to. Something has to be said about the guitarwork on this album:phenomenal. The solo on "Multiple Counts of Murder" is one of the greatest death metal solos ever, an instant classic. "Obsessed with Homocide" another stand out track, as well as "I Killed You". I do agree that Chris Barnes is one of the best death metal vocalists ever, but this album is not his best work. This is still damn good, and you better pick this up as well as Torture Killer's old CD "For Maggots to Devour".

This is the album that Chris Barne's Six Feet Under should have made after it's debut 'Haunted,' but they never went in that direction. Instead, Six Feet Under kept on the straightforward brutal path but eventually became very simplistic & complacent in it's musical approach; mainly the last few albums. But recently with Torture Killer, Barnes shows that he can muster up some of that morbidness & apply it the way he used to not so long ago. Now of course this isn't all of Barnes doing here, but he really needed this album to give his ego a boost. Great straightforward death here, but surprisingly melodic here & there as well. Very good release!

I can't see why you can't give this cd 5 stars it's just too good.This cd has great guitar work excellent vocals and amazing musicianship throughout this cd.I actually discovered this band from t.v. I was watching a music channel when there song "Forever Dead" appeared on the screen and from that moment on I was hooked on Torture Killer.I bought this cd at a local cd shop put it into the cd player and it started out with the instrumental song "swarm" which just blew me away.Every song on this cd is great riff after riff, brutal and gory vocals,stomach churning drums this cd is a headbangers dream and a true metal classic I recommend this to any fan of the metal genre.

Ah, to all the haters of my last review, I have seemed to take a beaten when I gave Torture Killer a bad review. SO, I deleated that review, not because I felt like I was getting murdered by every one else, but to say that I have ran through this CD many times, and its grown on me. I don't know how other Death Metal fans will feel about this, considering that there are some who love Six Feet Under, and consider this below SFU abilites, or those that hate SFU, and think this is the best work Barnes has done since CC. I am somewhat in between. I like SFU, but there are some better vocal work on with Torture Killer and lyrical work done here then SFU, but musicanship might have to have the advantage to SFU, as I think they are better, yet Torture Killer is more of a -raw- sound, if that makes any sense. So Overall, its not perfect, but it is a pretty solid Death Metal album, with a good old-school feel to it. OH, lets get back to this Deicide debate. For the reviewer who ripped me about them being Black, not Death Metal, because of the lyrical content, dude, your wrong. Black Metal has nothing to do with lyrical content, it has to do with the musical content. Black Metal has a much more high pitched shrill in the vocal, along with more down-tuning of guitars, and most of the time it can be faster. If you take a listen to some Black Metal such as Mayhem (who I believe to be the Black Metal Gods) and then try listening to some Death Metal such as Gorguts, CC, Torture Killer, or At the Gates, you can hear a huge difference in the musical content, but the lyrics are pretty much have the same issues. Some of the old school Black Metal is actually a form of Punk (HellHammer,Venom, Darkthrone) and New Black Metal uses a variety of keyboards, strings, and other instruments, almost like a Marilyn Mason feel, added to the mix (Cradle of Filth, Old Mans Child, -new- Emperor) Anyone got my back on this one??? ENJOY

Chris Barnes and SFU continued to try and jam out albums without preparation in the studio. They came off exactly as one would have expected: under-polished, excessive in spots, and overly boring. Luckily, Barnes decided to take the vocal helm of the upcoming death band Torture Killer.

Torture Killer is a mid-tempo, riff heavy death metal project. While there is nothing new here, the material they provide is delicious and well honed. Maybe there a part of me who is nostalgic for a more stripped down song structure after recent trends in chaotic song structure (Beneath the Buried: Alaska and Dillinger Escape Plan: Miss Machine come to mind). After a listen or two, you will have the album's verse/chorus style down pat.

From the opening trilling of Swarm to the sing-along chorus of Multiple Counts of Murder, there are great hooks that run rampant throughout that really dig into the psyche. The ending of Forever Dead is just majestic. While there is not the presence of blast beats, the album still feels fast. Many of the songs are gauged for perfect live show pit frenzy.

While some might say that Chris Barnes brought Torture Killer to the press, really Torture Killer has revived Chris Barnes. His words and style do not feel stuck in the rut that he started to display on the last two SFU albums. Torture Killer is a joy to listen to and hopefully Barnes and TK will soon become synonymous.

Very good death metal, with solid guitar work. I'm impressed for the quality of this record, and Barne's voice sounds incredible!!! This is solid death metal with a little old school sound!!! Recommended!!!

i love it chris barnes vocals fit right in with this band the guitar work is awesome

buy this album if and only if you like chris barnes vocals or death metal otherwise don't waste your time or money

Shit..I am very impressed by this album, coming from how Barenes has handles the last SFU release..Maybe he should disband SFU, and focus on Torture Killer

Torture Killer is, quite simply put, great. Theses guys really know how to get your head banging. Chris Barnes' vocals are brutal, much more so than on recent SFU albums. The production of this album is also much better than on SFU latest effort "13". Torture Killer mixes groovy guitar rythms, powerful drumming that doesnt repeat itself like in most death metal bands now days, and the brutal vocals of the legendary Chris Barnes. Sometimes the guitars even sound somewhat...how would I put this...heavily grungy, but in a good way. Theres more variation in the guitar work than most Death Metal bands care to put into their music also. My only complaint about this album is the lack of guitar solos. The track "Swarm!" is great, but there needs to be more guitar work like THAT in the rest of the songs.

For fans of SFU, Pantera, and old school Death/Thrash Metal.