Tombstoner - Victims Of Vile Torture

 

Man - this is a monster of a record. Tombstoner made some serious waves with their 2020 debut EP, but it's this debut full length that we were all waiting for. Victims Of Vile Torture is a positively monster offering that sees the band building on the Pissing Razors/Mid-period Napalm Death sound of the EP and taking it to the next level. Tombstoner pretty clearly rep a whole swathe of influences and while at times it works against them, as a general rule their gestalt is exciting and sure to keep listeners coming back for more. 

There is a very real swagger to this record that helps to make it so fun. While the music brims with Machine Head-isms and Cannibal Corpse references, the bands ability to fuse these ideas is what makes it special. There are a few unexpected twists and turns too, from touches of synths adding a sense of bombast on certain tracks to some epic hardcore shouting that helps to really give the entire thing a sense of old school grit it might not have had otherwise. So yes - this is a band who wear their influences on their sleeve, but those influences are awesome. The only issues arise when the ping ponging between ideas gets a little too obvious, making for a slightly overwhelming experience. 

Victims Of Vile Torture is a potent death metal debut. It's a record that aggressively goes for the throat and is unafraid to kick in skulls. Tombstoner have really proven here that they are a one of a kind force who will beat your face in and prove time and time again that they are the sort of long hairs who thirst for blood. With stellar execution and top notch ideas, Tombstoner are on the verge of something grand. With a bit of polishing they could take on the world and make us all suffer alongside them. It's going to be savage. 

Pre-order the album!

https://tombstoner-us.bandcamp.com/album/victims-of-vile-torture