Album Review: Tortured Demon – Rise Of The Lifeless (Self Released)

It’s been a whirlwind few years for Manchester-based thrashcore band Tortured Demon, and now they return with their sophomore album ‘Rise of the Lifeless’. Self-released by the band worldwide, except for Japan where they’ve inked a deal with Spiritual Beast/Universal Music Japan, on June 2nd, 2023.

Much anticipated for many reasons, Tortured Demon have made one hell of a name for themselves all over the world in a short number of years. The buzz around their age, replaced with buzz around their actual talents, and now around their development. It’s an important thing to note that the fuss around Tortured Demon has always been well deserved but their young ages is far less of a factor with this album.

Now it’s all about the music and with Rise of the Lifeless, Tortured Demon make it clear they have the songs to make even more people notice them.

The album begins with a surprisingly epic intro called An Empire Condemned. It’s liable to get the heart racing in anticipation of what follows, which just happens to be an absolute thrash screamer in the form of the title track. The speed and fury coming from the band is liable to see a few broken bones in the pit when this one is played live.

The strong sense that Tortured Demon have found a comfortable place that allows them to expand on the thrash elements of their sound is further exemplified by the anthemic Virtual Death. Where the band produce a chorus, amongst other impressive elements, that is quite a shout-along. Then there is Global Threat, a track that is all about unrestrained ferocity with yet another banger chorus, and Disfavour, a track that smashes and crashes with intense energy.

Banger track after banger track, the first half has well and truly delivered, but Tortured Demon have a few surprises up their sleeves in the second.

Although, the cacophony of thrashy noise that comes from Conflict of Interest and the downright manic sound of Erase Your Life might not seem so on surface level. Yet these, like so much of this album, has layers that slowly peel over multiple listens. Tortured Demon continue to hit high after high with both their instrumentation and vocal performances. They really are an exceptionally talented group.

Case in point, This War Will Come to You, a track that is utterly wild and abrasive, but also has a heavy metal mindset, and gets downright groovy in places. It also has one of the album’s best guitar solos.

All good things must come to an end and Rise of the Lifeless throws out two thrilling examples of Tortured Demon’s creativity from different, but equally heavy places. First, with the anthemic frenzy that is Eyes in the Fire. Then with the expansive and detailed finale of The Damage is Done. A track that evolves in fascinating ways, the initial straight-forward thrashiness leading into one of the band’s cleanest sounding choruses, a mid-point melodic tempo shift, and eventual exclamation point ending that drifts away satisfyingly.

Rise of the Lifeless is proof that Tortured Demon are not a ‘one hit wonder’ and that they are only getting better as time goes by.

Tortured Demon – Rise of the Lifeless Track Listing:

1. An Empire Condemned
2. Rise Of the Lifeless
3. Virtual Death
4. Global Threat
5. Disfavour
6. Conflict of Interest
7. Erase Your Life
8. This War Will Come to You
9. Eyes in The Fire
10. The Damage Is Done

Links

Spotify | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter