So we have a German thrash metal band called TORMENTOR and they have been around now for almost 15 years since their formation in 2006. They are currently a four piece band however, it seems they started with MAX SEIPKE on vocals & lead guitar and THOMAS WEDENEGER on drums. But then they were joined by HEIKO on bass guitar and KEVIN HANCH on rhythm guitar to complete the line up.

The band came onto the thrash metal scene in 2008 upon their demo release LESSON IN AGGRESSION featuring 5 tracks. In 2012 they released their debut full length album titled VIOLENT WORLD featuring a cover of KREATOR'S track "Tormentor" The follow up to this was the bands second full length album titled MORBID REALIZATION in 2017. Now they have a new EP named CROWN OF SHAME which will be available on the 12th of November.

So we start with the first track being "Welcome To The Depressive Age" which takes us on the rollercoaster of impending doom and thrashing rhythms with themes of war or death throughout. There is certainly a lot of crash, bang, wallop with drums and the axe of guitar thrown down hard. This in turn creates the tremors of low or mid range frequencies whereas the drum pattern doubles up at a later stage. It really is swings and roundabouts until the twist at the end with guitar & drums.

"Crown Of Shame" is slower, the guitar work is eccentric, mellow and rich in texture. Vocals are literally devastating in tone and roaring loudly where drums accent and sit nicely within the mix. There are death related themes in the lyrics providing that occult sound together with repeated music phrasing. Heavy burdens are on the cusp of all that rage and vengeance. "Call To Arms" is a much shorter track but packed with a punch as the guitar is bewildering as the thrash sound is emphasized here. It's coming from the ground up like it jumps up from the underbelly of a rumbling noise.

"Slaved To The Core" has indeed impressed me straight away with lower end drum patterns, reinforced with double kicks. Guitar provides the passage into what could be heard as the seven circles of hell until it goes mellow for a bit. Guitar then guides the drums along like it's attached on a long piece of string, following every guitar riff and hook plus the vibrato or pitch shifts. "The Burden And The Grief" slows right down again, the gasp of bass is heard and continues to accompany the psychedelic step-by-step rock.

This brings out the best of this band with ear-shrieking guitar hooks and slow but vocal drumming. Vocals themselves have more time for a pause and when they drop, they come hard, shattering the audio spectrum. The EP closes with thrashing bombastic guitar work with mind-blowing drumming. Really is one of the next best thrash metal bands to jump into the spotlight with an amazing style of drumming, guitar and vocal tuition. This is a big step with the German band like this but we only hope that another album come around pronto!