Playing in a wild and savage way is a known Death Metal feature. Since the early times of the style, Death Metal was bitter and extremely hard to swallow for many fans; because it was too distorted, fast, brutal and nasty for the fans back then. But as time passed by, the style became divided, and more bands with faster and even more distorted and brutal approaches appeared. Now, Brutal Death Metal is a reality, and such bands as the Greek quintet MORTAL TORMENT appear throughout the world. Their work on "Cleaver Redemption" speaks for itself.

Well, I must admit that their musical work is really good; but they are too similar to bands like DYING FETUS, SUFFOCATION and CRYPTOPSY, and need to have a better insight of their own style - a more personalized work. It's not bad at all, they are talented musicians, but their musical work is common, just like many other bands of the genre. They still lack something that can make their music different from others.

We can't complain about the sound quality. It's really heavy and nasty, keeping the band's musical brutality untouched. It is also clean when it comes to comprehending what they are actually playing. It perfectly allies the aggressiveness with the essential clarity.

The ten songs that are displayed here are proof that a lack of technique or talent aren't the band's main problems. No, because on the fast "Epileptic Defecation" and on the nasty and explosive "Tender/Dismember" you can feel the power and technicality of the drums (showing great rhythmic diversity of tempos); on "Cleaver Redemption" and the technical "Sculpting the Dead" (this one featuring good slower tempos) are full of solid riffs; and on "Whorified" and "Fucked in the Eye Socket and Left to Die" the vocals showcase very good effort on the guttural grunts and occasional piggish screams. But even with this, the whole idea that we have is one that says: "I've heard this before".

So, they simply need to refine their work, to throw out some musical specters of their influences and face the future with blood in their eyes and dripping personality from their work.

I very much believe in their work, so let's hope that the future will show us better from them.<