Reviews: Tempest of torment
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Relentless are an interesting lot. Hailing from Sweden, one would think the group would be hellbent on destroying the opposition with dashing thrash romps and a good bit of Gothenburg styled flavor. With bands like Carnal Forge and The Haunted leading the charge, I really opened up "Tempest Of Torment" thinking I would be in for the same roller coaster ride, an event that has become rather dull over the course of time due to so many "rides" taking place.
However Relentless surprise me, really going after an entirely different market with their brand of death metal extreme.
In a lot of ways, Relentless remind me of early Hypocrisy, with a Swedish sound heavily influenced by Floridian death metal. When Hypocrisy mastermind Peter Tagtgren first unleashed "Penetralia" on us in the early 90s, their sound was highly enhanced by Florida groups like Malevolent Creation and Cannibal Corpse. Now we get that same sort of creation all over again, this time about a decade later with Relentless borrowing heavily from the US death metal charts of the late 80s/early 90s. This is really refreshing for me simply because this sort of venture has long become dead, almost like an antique that has been stored away. Now the sound has become new again, re-tooled and re-packaged here in the states by Crash Music, a label that certainly seems to have it's ups and downs.
"Tempest Of Torment" is a solid craft, completely delighful in it's songwriting and overall delivery. This is what I loved about 90s death metal, the straight forward, horror themed metal that I grew up with. These Swedes bring back memories of Cannibal Corpse ("The Bleeding"), early Malevolent Creation, Six Feet Under ("The Haunted"), and some of Britian's death wonder in Benediction. I can even hear some Unleashed and Sinister thrown in the mix, but really this record is straight out of that Floridian pack of extremists. It has that sadistic energy, with plenty of groovy riffs, start-stop drumming, and deep gutsy vocals, all wrapped up in a great story telling mode.
Relentless really create absolute masterpieces here, with songs like "Furious", "At War", and "Kneedeep In Gore" all retaining that certain amount of death metal "shock value", but at the same time taking note to include heavy slabs of groove to keep the listener hooked. This band can be a million miles an hour, rampaging along in Sinister or Vader style before hitting the brakes and inventing a mammoth groove that is built from the Slayer/Blessed Death engine. That is really the best part about the band, that drive to be both chaotic and structured, something long lost from early pioneer bands like Deicide and Cannibal Corpse. Instead of being tastless and obscene, Relentless really capture that "horror" element without going to those extremes. They write frightening passages that really are glimpes of our sick society. With "Scraped Off The Wall" the band create a rather disturbing picture of serial killers, while "At War" creates the shocking visions of battle.
Vocalist/guitarist M. Andersson seems to admire that early Chris Barnes (Six Feet Under, Cannibal Corpse) delivery, with his voice being extremely deep but still remaining audible and clearly understanding. The group seem to focus on songs that are structured in much the same way as the material found on the only good Six Feet Under recording, "The Haunted". The songs are crafted like good horror tales, the music is both speedy and organized, and the overall production of the album leaves the listener with thoughts of an 80s sound, not dating themselves but simply paying homage to a fabulous place in history.
Bottom Line - Relentless are a damn fine group of death metal scholars. Unfortunately Crash isn't doing much to promote this new record. Their website doesn't even mention the release of the band for that matter. I haven't been able to find much about the group online at all. Hopefully they have more records that I can dig up, and I look forward to more work from this solid group of old 'schoolers.
--EC 08.05.05
http://www.maximummetal.com/reviews/revresults.asp?ID=relent_tot&idBand=670
--EC 08.05.05
www.deadtide.com
Let's just say that Relentless are an aptly named band because that is exactly what their old school Florida approach to death metal is. As they sound like old school Florida death you can guess where they come from. Sweden. Yeah, a Swedish band without any melodic touches. I didn't know they existed either. The vocals are a potent guttural growl, but there is actual enunciation and not just some guy talking with his mouth full.
The music tends to stay on the slower side, although they aren't afraid to pick up the pace when it is called for. To be honest the music isn't all that innovative, reminding me quite a bit of Monstrosity. However sounding like Monstrosity is not a bad thing to my ears. However I have trouble talking about this album due to the close resemblance to Monstrosity. There is little here to distinguish them from the old school Tampa acts you grew up with and loved.
Overall this is pretty good if you want a record you don't know by heart but at the same time is very familiar. If you're a diehard for that style then you won't be disappointed but there isn't any new ground broken here. It's still good love though.
http://www.deadtide.com/content/reviews/albums/page.php?review_id=2610
K.Huckins
www.live4metal.com
I write so many reviews nowadays that I sometimes forget what I really like to listen to for pure enjoyment. After popping in Tempest of Torment from Sweden’s Relentless, I remember. It’s good ‘ole American style death metal, the kind that is crushingly heavy, yet has just enough melody and groove to keep it interesting. Tempest of Torment may not be an album that will have the critics salivating, but much like Strangulation’s Atrocious Retribution, if you’re looking for a filling meal of USDM, Relentless will serve it up to ya on this album. I like the dry riffing, the varied arrangements, the drum sound, and guitarist/vocalist M. Anderson’s growly-but-intelligible vocal style.
Anderson’s style is probably most similar to George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher’s (including the occasional high-end scream) with a bit of Frank Mullen’s (Suffocation) tone. Playin’ like they mean it, the trio churns out 10 crunchy little bastards, and there’s not a dud in the bunch. Each are distinct as well; this isn’t one of those United Guttural style albums in which it’s difficult to tell where one song ends and the other begins.
Just for the heck of it, I’ll pick a few tracks to clue you in on some of the cool happenings here. “Scraped off the Wall” begins with a slow, doom-laden section, the tension building and building as the kick drums shift into high gear. An up-tempo part follows, but the vocals are accompanied only by bass and drums, and then the real carnage begins. The Cannibal Corpse sound is immediately recognizable on “Zombified Genocide,” right down to the Corpsegrinder vocal patterns and style. I love the sections of odd meter on “Crippled,” a tune that also includes one of the album’s handful of well-chosen guitar solos, this one more like half solo and half melodic lead.
Whether it’s “Furious,” “At War,” or “Lethal Apparition,” the Swedish boys do the U.S. style proud. I can’t imagine anyone that enjoys this particular style of death metal not getting at least something out of Tempest of Torment.
http://www.live4metal.com/reviews-320.htm
Scott Alisoglu
www.beowolfproductions.com
RELENTLESS hails from Sweden, but don't play the typical style of Metal Sweden is known for. These guys plays balls out Florida style Death Metal. They have a strong old school brutal as hell Death Metal sound.
The music is very fast, aggressive & very intense. There are some good catchy riffs in the music too. The vocals are very low end Death growls spewed forth with power. These guys are a must for any fan of CANNIBAL CORPSE, MALEVOLENT CREATION, OBITUARY, MORBID ANGEL & HATEPLOW!!!
http://www.beowolfproductions.com/MusicReviewsJuly05.html
???
www.darksoul7.com
Tightly embracing the early 90's Floridian Death Metal sound, Relentless blast out the U.S. brand of brutality in solid fashion. Only thing is, they are from Örebro, Sweden!
Like a growing number of metal bands from their region, they have tired of the same old In Flames knock offs representing the metal from their scene, these anti-melody death monsters take a fist full of gore and a slab of brutality to dish out a solid release that is sure to please many.
In terms of production this disc has a slightly dirtier feel than comparable albums of this style, but overall it suits the music just fine. You can tell this was recorded and mixed in the same style as would be found with other metal bands from the region Relentless originate from.
Is this original or innovative metal? No. Non-stop ferocious death metal? YES! "Tempest of Torment" is heavy on mid-paced grooves, tightly controlled riffs and runs, and blasts o' plenty. There are of course the faster down tuned speed picked assaults that you would expect, but Relentless are in their element the most somewhere between the medium and light speed moments. The wisely inserted and executed breakdowns help to prevent monotony or boredom, they also get some good stomps in from time to time.
The vocals while certainly not unique, are extremely powerful and emulate all the same early 90's death style vox very nicely, meaning you can understand what he's growling/roaring quite easily but it's still brutal. The song writing is tight, the grooves really keep you interested, and the hooks are strong. The lyrical imagery here is a bit refreshing as it isn't all about Satan and hatred of God, nothing wrong with that, but I am really getting burnt out on that subject matter. Relentless change subjects often and don't sound like they have run out of ideas like many bands have.
Ashame really that Crash Music hasn't done more to promote these guys, information on them via the internet is limited, and on the press sheet I got the track listing is wrong and the band members names aren't even listed. Relentless don't even have a website up right now, at least not one I can find. Like I said, this isn't original by any means, but it really is a solid album that is sure to give you some early death metal flashbacks.
Basically, state side, if you are a fan of Monstrosity, Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation, or Divine Empire then this disc is for you. Overseas if you are a fan of Severe Torture, Insision, Vader or early Hypocrisy then this disc is also for you.
http://www.darksoul7.com/cgi-bin/cd_reviews.cgi?id=148&page=1
Wrath
www.pivotalrage.com
From the depths of Sweden comes a brutal death metal band named Relentless. Tempest of Torment is the name of their latest record, and it is definitely something to look out for.
“Furious”, the opening track, is just that. What you’re going to get here is nothing more than a brutal mix of death metal and grindcore. With elements from bands like Deranged, Prostitute Disfigurement, and Severe Torture, Tempest… attacks with full force and never let’s up. Drummer Par Svensson does a great job with the blast-beats, but also is excellent at making groove-based thrash tempos.
Guitarist/Vocalist Matte Andersson makes the thrash tempos so catchy with brutal riffs that make your head bang and your ears go “more please!” He also even makes some chugga-chugga riffs here and there. “Scraped Off the Wall” is in my opinion his best vocal performance, to me his growl is like a mix of Corpsegrinder (Cannibal Corpse) and Dusty from Severed Savior. He also has some nice high growls here and there. As the record moves on, I like each song more and more. There isn’t a moment on this record that is boring or mundane, it’s always completely relentless (sorry for the bad pun).
Every death metal fan should check this shit out man, this really is great stuff. For convincing purposes only, I’ll say check out the songs “Zombified Genocide” and “Infernal Madness”, but honestly, if you like brutal death metal, you’ll only need to hear about ten seconds of either song to be convinced.
http://www.pivotalrage.com/webzine/phpreviews.php?cmd=2&a=Tempest_of_Torment&g=Relentless
Eric Filante
www.metallian.com
With T-shirts sporting logos from bands like Cannibal Corpse and lyrics like, "kicked in the groin, stabbed in the loin/malevolent savagery, licentious brutality" it is self-evident that Sweden's Relentless has no inclination to follow In Flames or The Haunted down the mainstream respectability route. The band's website might hint at grindcore, but the trio is full-on death metal in the vein of the aforementioned Cannibal Corpse, Malevolent Creation and Monstrosity. There is nothing long with that and as long as real death metal is the objective Relentless will quench one's thirst. Check this out for a vocalist drunk on Cannibal Corpse, gory lyrics and a sharp guitar sound.
http://www.metallian.com/relentless.htm
Ali "The Metallian
http://basementbar.com
Well, this CD is definately a brutal death metal CD. There is not much more one can say about it. It is basically like every other brutal death metal act; violent lyrics, downtuned guitars, "cookie monster" vocals, heavy riffs, the occasional blast beat, etc. Nothing too exciting, but nothing too horrible at the same time. It is by no means a bad CD. The songs are well written, it has some cool riffs here and there, but in the long run it is just pretty generic. They are just one out of the many cookie cutter brutal death metal bands out there.
Album Score: 6.2 out of 10
http://basementbar.com/DefaultN1.asp?GoTo=ArchiveRevN1.asp
Jake Rosenberg
Sunset strip
Rating: 8.5.
Country of origin: Sweden.
Release date: Available now.
This band has got some serious CRUNCH! Though Relentless are a Swedish death/thrash band, they have a very Floridian brutal death metal vibe. They pull off some classic sounding, crushing riffs that would please fans of America’s finest grinders. All this being said, Relentless do exhibit Swedish tendencies towards tightness, crisp production, and well … death metal. They even occasionally bring a little recent Mayhem to mind, like the song ominously entitled, “Scraped off the Wall.” But of course song titles like that and “Zombified Genocied,” “Kneedeep in Gore” as well as the title track can only mean one thing: brutal death metal.Fans of Morbid Angel and Hate Eternal as well as Hypocrisy will love this band.
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Underground/2649/2005e.html
???
www.metalfanatix.com
Relentless is a death metal band from Sweden. But they don’t play Swedish death; they play brutal American or Floridian death metal. The first band that popped in my head that they reminded me of was Monstrosity. You can also hear other influences like Cannibal Corpse and maybe a little Deicide too. Some parts are reminiscent of Withered Earth and Incantation as well. A few parts seemed to be missing something, but for the most part they are vibrant and brutal. It’s nothing that hasn’t been done before, but it still has it impressive moments. There is a little technicality, but mostly straightforward. “Tempest Of Torment” is brutally simple and to the point.
It’s good to hear a non-Swedish death band for once. It seems that everyone is taking something from it today. The only thing these guys have in common with Swedish death metal is that they both came from Sweden! Mostly brutal riffs are all over the ten tracks, but there are some speed driven riffs within the thirty-seven minutes. There are typical brutal death growls that you would expect, and he does it soundly. However, a few of the transitions between parts of songs seem a little awkward. It’s not bad, but I noticed it a few times. Overall this is a worthy metal effort.
Rating: 79 of 100
http://oswegoalumni.oswego.edu/jeff/metalfanatix/album/relentless.html
???
www.digitalmetal.com, 2005-06-29
Here’s some pretty solid US styled brutality from Örebro Sweden, that much like fellow melody hating Swedes Insision, convey a pretty solid version of Stateside ferocity. While hardly innovative or mind blowing, Tempest of Torment has enough death metal goods to please the average fan of bands like Monstrosity, Divine Empire, Cannibal Corpse and most Floridian Styled death metal.
For a debut Tempest of Torment show plenty of chops in both the speedy savagery and bludgeoning groove department, as they cull generously from their American peers. Vocalist Matte Andersson has a typical, non-descript but convincing growl and drummer Par Svensson performs the necessary percussive assault admirably while Andersson’s guitars slice and dice with complexity and barbarity aplomb.
Like I said, there’s nothing too awfully original here, but if you are death metal starved and the paceless blasting of the likes of Disgorge or Hate Eternal are just too ‘samey’ for you, this might fill a void. Tracks like “Furious”, “At War”, “Dreadful” and “Scraped of the Wall” contain enough time changes and shifts in speed to keep most interested. The mix of blast beats and slower tempo riffs is classically rendered for the more control inclined death metal fan, but Relentless can blast it up with the best of them (“Zombified Genocide”, “Infernal Madness”) but even then the tracks are still smartly broken up by well placed beatdowns. However, Relentless are more impressive when doing the good old fashioned mid tempo stuff. Tracks like “Crippled”, “Lethal Apparition” and “Knee Deep In Gore” imbue classic early 90’s American death metal with their mid paced down tuned builds and eventual rumbling, blast beat peaks. The production is a bit muddy, so isn’t as pristine as most Floridian death metal, as it has a dirty, distinct European, but it doesn’t hide the bands obvious influences.
Tempest of Torment is simple but effective-a lot like this review.
http://www.digitalmetal.com/reviews.asp?cid=6620
Erik Thomas
http://www.metalreview.com, 2005-07-01
Anyone who has kept up with Crash Music’s recent output knows that the quality of their releases is…variable. The label’s somewhat indiscriminate signing and releasing practices have made them responsible for some of the worst metal in recent memory (as anyone who’s heard the recent Unshine can attest), and with that in mind I approached this album with some trepidation. Fortunately, Relentless have here proven that Crash’s scattershot tactics occasionally find their mark, and Tempest of Torment is a creativity-free but very enjoyable chunk of death metal goodness.
Hailing from Sweden, Relentless classify themselves as a brutal death metal band, but their sound indicates as much of a spiritual debt to their mid-tempo-loving domestic forefathers Dismember as to stateside blasters like Cannibal Corpse. Rather than attempt to overwhelm with speed and technicality, the band is content to simply bury the listener with an avalanche of riffs. Not that they’re unafraid to step up the pace, understand; virtually every song on Tempest of Torment contains several of drummer Par Svensson’s harrowing blastbeats, most often paired with Matte Andersson’s spiraling speedpicking. These guitar lines even pick up a slightly blackened melodic feel from time to time, as in “Scraped Off the Wall” and the title track, but the band really hits hardest when they slow it down a little and allow their crunchy guitar tone to throw its impressive weight around. Andersson backs up the riffy assault with an expected but commanding growl and the occasional hair-raising scream; it’s pure death metal convention, but it’s done well enough to be forgivable. In fact, the same assertion can be applied with little modification to the entire album. There’s nothing you haven’t likely heard before here, but riffs of the quality heard on tracks like “Infernal Madness” and “Dreadful” are hard to hate.
Tempest of Torment is by no means an essential or even particularly useful album, as most of the things that are done well here have been done better elsewhere and there is no shortage of quality death metal available. Still, those with an insatiable appetite for this type of material searching for a quick, catchy death metal fix would not be at all remiss in giving this one a go. That is, of course, if they’re willing to brave the Crash logo on the jewel case.
http://www.metalreview.com/viewreview.aspx?ID=1821
Doug Moore
www.metalcoven.com, 2005-08-23
Sweden’s Relentless clearly displays their influences in their band photo. Guitarist/vocalist M. Anderson dons a Cannibal Corpse t-shirt and drummer P. Svensson sport a Malevolent Creation tee. Any guess to whom relentless sound akin?
Perhaps a tad out of place in 2005, Relentless dishes death metal out like the Florida of past. Pummeling riffs, a salvo of blast beats and lyrics about murder, madness, mayhem, and the occasional zombie revival. They deliver impressive Florida inspired death metal tracks without any hesitation or attempts to push the envelope. If you like bands like Malevolent Creation, you’ll get a charge out of tracks like “Dreadful.” “Zombie Genocide” is another great track that will cause most death metal fans to claim that the track is a lost Fisher-era Cannibal Corpse song. Especially when M. Anderson belts out a “Zombie Genociiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiide.” The Obituary-esque doom and Suffocation-esque death aspects of “ At War” blend together perfectly and oddly sound like black metal at times. But what makes this album work is that the band speeds along at a hurried pace and the riffs are have that perfect death with complexity style that comes nowhere near the melodic side of death metal. Also, the solos, when there are solos, are well chosen and placed carefully into the songs. For example the solo and subsequent breakdown on “Crippled” is nothing short of awesome.
Production wise, Relentless really lacks that thick sound that is so prevalent today. The thin Scott Burns sound is painfully out of date and really drags on the music at times. But I have a sneaking suspicion that Relentless is trying to conjure up visions of Morrisound Studios packed with swirling hair and shredded denim, rather than tight shirts and crew cuts.
Part of Relentless’ charm is that they play tried and true Florida style death metal and they play it well. Call me biased or showing favoritism, but when new bands are trying to push the envelope in countless different directions and add new elements to metal, sometimes regression amidst progression is refreshing. And while waiting for new Malevolent Creation and Cannibal Corpse albums, “Tempest of Torment” is a great stopgap. Plus it is great fun to put it in the player with your nearest and dears death metal purists and try to name which Relentless riff was influenced by what established act.
But if you aren’t into any of the bands cited in this review, I suggest skipping this album.
Rating: 6/10
http://www.metalcoven.com/review_relentless_tempest.html
Don Rottenbucher
www.unchain.com
RELENTLESS is a competent death metal band from Sweden that has spent too much time listening to MORBID ANGEL and MONSTROSITY and other “classic” death metallers. Guitarist (and vocalist) Matte Andersson has a great trashy Euro-death guitar tone and some really killer riffs, but his vocals are by-the-book, and overall, Tempest Of Torment fails to tread any ground that hasn’t been trampled under by a thousand identical records. That said, it’s really not a bad record, either--just completely and wholeheartedly derivative. The band can groove when they need to, and they’re certainly not shabby musicians.
“Zombie Genocide” and “At War” have some catchy bits that you can find yourself getting into, but those are just scattered moments within the whole. Overall, Tempest Of Torment is a decent record by a good band doing a great job of replicating better records by original bands. I give it an “average.” - JW
Rating: 7/10
http://www.unchain.com/current/music_reviews38b.html
JW
earcandymag.com
A Swedish band emulating American death metal? How’s that for a twist? Ask the trio Relentless, whose nine-track growl-a-thon sounds as if it rose from the swamps of Florida or the cornfields of the Midwest rather than the confines of the most copied metal in recent memory.
TEMPEST OF TORMENT is a nine-track manic ride, chock full of Cannibal Corpse-esque guitar runs and Obituary-like chop ‘em up rhythms. Tracks like the gore-infested “Scraped Off the Wall” and “Lethal Apparition” radiate the kind of foreboding elements that all death metal should involve, making this disc perfect for the connoisseur of death metal’s aural carnage.
Rating: 3 of 5 (moments of brilliance)
Mike SOS
thegrimoire.com, 050813
Relentless - Tempest of Torment - ArcDICK Music
I don't know which musical category to put this band into, unless "boring" is a new kind of metal. When I saw that the band was from Sweden I expected something a little better. That is not to say that Sweden is a land of great metal. Not so at all.
That gay band In Flames is Swedish and I would certainly be ashamed to be from their area. But Sweden happens to be a place where there are some real musicians, and I had wanted this album to be reflective of that. Sadly. all I got for my time was some very boring death metal. The only thing that is relentless about this band is the mediocrity. And don't be a gay crybaby about the review.
The word "boring" sums it up. Do you really need me to say something like "The guitar solo was boring over the bassa nova beat, and the vocals were boring as they syncopated the throbbing of a faggot's penis?" BORING!!!
http://www.thegrimoire.com/reviews31.htm
Rock harder radio, 050927
Denna DEATH-METAL trio från Lindesberg strax norr om Örebro, som jag förövrigt intervjuade i Rockharder våren –04 i samband med vad jag då trodde var den snart anländande debut-fullängdaren Tempest of Torment, bjuder på sin kraftig försenade skiva en kavalkad i feta gura-mattor o guttural sång från frontmannen Matte, kompakt basmuller från basmannen Oskar o kulsprutesmatter från trummisen Pär.
Förebilderna stavas Cannibal Corpse o Malevolent Creation så soundet är väldigt amerikanskt som ni kanske förstår, men ibland bryts manglet av med ett välplacerat ljust skrik o lite melodislingor men ändå väldigt sparsmakat. Kör man DEATH-METAL så gör man!
Skivan spelades in sommaren –03 men släpptes först maj –05 pga. infernaliskt strul från bolagets sida. Om jag vore lyrikförfattare i bandet skull texterna på nästa släpp uteslutande handla om olika sätt att lemlästa o tortera vissa personer på skivbolaget. En kul grej är att om man förkortar skivnamnet så blir det TOT, som betyder död på tyska, Metal!! Vill du ha din DEATH-METAL, tight, relativt teknisk men ändå rå så e Relentless bandet för dig!
4/5
Enticer
punkrocktheory.com, 050925
A Swedish band emulating American death metal? How´s that for a twist? Ask the trio Relentless, whose nine-track growl-a-thon sounds as if it rose from the swamps of Florida or the cornfields of the midwest rather than the confines of the most copied metal in recent memory.
TEMPEST OF TORMENT is a nine-track manic ride, chock full of Cannibal Corpse esque guitar runs and Obituary-like chop ém up rhythms. Tracks like the gore-infested "Scraped Off the Wall" and "Lethal Apparition" radiate the kind of foreboding elements that all death metal should involve, making this disc perfect for the connoisseur of death metal´s aural carnage.
Score: 6 of 10
http://www.punkrocktheory.com/IE_5_0/Reviews.php?toDo=showMonth&txtYear=2005&txtMonth=September&pageNumber=2&showInitial=TRUE&txtRevNr=9
Mike SOS
unknown
Rare that you hear a band from Sweden with the original sound they have over there playing more of an American Death Metal style. I guess there's as many Swedes as Americans who like each others sound or music better than their own..who knows, I never really asked what goes through people's minds of why they play other styles from across the globe.
The press sheet hits this on the head with the likes of Monstrosity, Dying Fetus and Cannibal Corpse (of course I have to add a couple of my own with Disinter and Enforsaken). Lots of riffs, solos and the plethora of glass-massaged-barbwire-spewed death growls from hell and the blast beats department that keeps this whole CD "relentless" and entertaining despite, as you can tell, it's not the most original of bands but they are very respectable with "Tempest Of Torment". There's alot of other elements on here other than the ones mentioned. You will find them, you just have to listen carefully. In the meantime, enjoy the ferocity.
Close Up, 2005-11-25
Lagom till att jag spelat sönder demon "Experiments in excrement" bjussar Örebrotrion på ett debutalster fullt av hårdslående death metal. Det framkallar vackra visioner av USA-döds anno 1992-94. Det brister varken i tyngd eller mangel och jag fullkomligt älskar den skrapiga brölsången.
Daniel Löfquist
Ultimatemetal.com, ???
It took me about a year to realize that hands adorned the cover art of Metallica’s Master of Puppets. And, even if the latter’s artwork wasn’t considered subtle, Relentless’s Tempest of Torment can be considered as such. My only hint shall be: scrutinize the clouds. But – what’s not so subtle – is the music that radiates from Tempest of Torment, which is undoubtedly brutal death metal that takes elements of Cannibal Corpse, Dismember, and The Chasm, and twists them into one.
Lamentably, the music that Relentless crafts doesn’t have a shroud of originality. Sometimes, if the band is adequately talented, it’s somewhat acceptable if the members aren’t necessarily concerned with penning original numbers. The opening composition, “Furious,” is far from being the first of its kind, yet the riffage is so utterly cutthroat that it works masterfully. Once the aforementioned scenario took place, I found myself becoming apathetic about whether the style was uniform or not. Who cares if you enjoy the instrumentation, right? Anyhow, a considerable amount of Tempest of Torment is that of a slow pace, and the growling vocalizations are about what one would expect of music of this particular caliber: uneventful but fitting. Honestly, the strong points of Relentless lie in their usage of cataclysmic riffs, which subsequently heighten the enjoyment factor of each opus. However, judging the band at first impression may not yield such favorable results.
Crash Music Inc. is indeed not so differential from other established labels. That is, they’ve got their fair share of the good (Coram Lethe, Disgorge, Relentless), the bad (Unshine, Mortician), and the ugly (I.C.E.). As of now, my wallet’s mostly anal retentive, although it does have room for the latest from Relentless, which is an instant lender of credibility.
8/10
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=201069
Jason Jordan
smother.net, ???
Death metal from Sweden that doesn’t have the now generic Swedish sound is a welcome blessing. It sure is brutal too. The drumwork is amazing as it just crushes your freakin’ skull in and then pisses straight vinegar. Vocally it’s gruff growling with a firm nod in the direction of past Floridian death metal bands. Check out Relentless and get good old fashioned death metal the way it used to be.
http://www.smother.net/reviews/metal.php3?ID=406
-J- Sin
Necrometal.com, Monday, 26 December 2005
Being a true native of Florida I am very familiar with this style of death metal, although trying to find out how a band of Swedish origin can play it the Floridian way is beyond me.
I have the intense feeling that this style of metal is making its return along with thrash to give back to the world what it needs the most. I metal injection to spread the infection. I got hooked on this music back in the early 90’s.
“Zombiefied Genocide” is my favorite track off of this cd, having a very similar feel to a couple of Cannibal Corpse songs I dig this track has me thrashing about in frantic motion.
“At War” a heavy battering onslaught that reminds us all that war causes death. Don't start wars without being prepared to die. This song contains parts that seem like an eerie mesh of Whiplash’s “Hiroshima” and Six Feet Under’s “War Is Coming”.
The drumming is concentrated with start and stop blows that keep the music pummeling forward at an inescapable momentum. Pär Svensson holds his own against Matte Andersson’s ferocious guitar work. Always having that heavy guitar groove that I remember from the old Tampa bands that used to be around. R.I.P.
This album is definitely worthwhile when you come out and compare it to those who crafted this genre. It doesn’t fail in recreation; it achieves to bring back that sound that flourished in Florida for decades. Hopefully sustaining their sound for the next metal generation.
http://www.necrometal.com/site1/content/view/379/141/
Mechanical Corpse
Metalnightmare.com, 06-01-17
Sometimes, you just have to go completely against the flow of what everyone else around you is doing, and do your own thing instead. Such is the case of Sweden's RELENTLESS. Not only are they ignoring the current trend of melodic death metal, they also chose to not have any old Swedish death metal influences in their work. Instead, they look to the old American scene. Most of what can be heard in RELENTLESS' sound comes out of Florida in 1990. We're talking about influences drawn from old MALEVOLENT CREATION, a little MONSTROSITY, and a touch of MORBID ANGEL. But they also borrow heavily from the likes of CANNIBAL CORPSE (Barnes era of corpse), IMMOLATION, and even INCANTATION.
They go heavy on the brutality and completely skip the technical. Tempest of Torment is a true blasting assault. Oddly enough though, despite drawing on all of these old and mighty bands, RELENTLESS somehow managed to distill just the parts of their respective sounds that gave rise to modern death metal. So despite all of the old school influences I hear on this album, they're all the parts that helped turn death metal into what it sounds like today in a lot of respects. What I'm saying is that while the influences are old, the music does not have the "ancient feeling." But don't let that get you down. It's still awesome stuff.
http://www.metalnightmare.com/issue_nineteen/reviewsnineteen.html
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necrometal.com
Being a true native of Florida I am very familiar with this style of death metal, although trying to find out how a band of Swedish origin can play it the Floridian way is beyond me. I have the intense feeling that this style of metal is making its return along with thrash to give back to the world what it needs the most. I metal injection to spread the infection. I got hooked on this music back in the early 90’s. “Zombiefied Genocide” is my favorite track off of this cd, having a very similar feel to a couple of Cannibal Corpse songs I dig this track has me thrashing about in frantic motion. “At War” a heavy battering onslaught that reminds us all that war causes death. Don't start wars without being prepared to die. This song contains parts that seem like an eerie mesh of Whiplash’s “Hiroshima” and Six Feet Under’s “War Is Coming”. The drumming is concentrated with start and stop blows that keep the music pummeling forward at an inescapable momentum. Pär Svensson holds his own against Matte Andersson’s ferocious guitar work. Always having that heavy guitar groove that I remember from the old Tampa bands that used to be around. R.I.P. This album is definitely worthwhile when you come out and compare it to those who crafted this genre. It doesn’t fail in recreation; it achieves to bring back that sound that flourished in Florida for decades. Hopefully sustaining their sound for the next metal generation.
www.strangeraeons.com, 2006-06-30
One of the best new Death Metal bands around has to be Relentless. None of that overdone Melodic Swedish Death, just rock-solid Brutal Deathrock with a Thrash underbelly is their style. On their 2006 opus, "Tempest Of Torment" [Crash Music, Inc.], Relentless does it with a fury that is phenomenal. Relentless uses brutal growls, crowning bone-cracking rhythms and smashing guitar leads. Melodic flashes are used sparingly, Relentless is all about deep grooves and intensity. It is fierce. Songs of worthy note include "Lethal Apparition", the kinetic "At War", "Furious", "Dreadful", and the ferocious "Zombified Genocide". Overall, Relentless is decidedly killer. This one will become a classic. Stay savage. Farewell.
Willaim B. Vogel III