Review by Brian McLean
The re-release Torture’s Storm Alert through Escapi Music will be looked upon by thrash and death metal fans alike as a great move. Yet, many will ponder why it didn’t happen sooner.
Unfortunately for this former Texas based band, the original release of Storm Alert was lost with the influx of bands as the death genre started to grow. Some held on while others slipped away into obscurity.
The music on the disc has that late 1980’s thrash feel with a hint of death vocals but that’s what separated the Torture thrashers from the guitar hashers. The music may sound dated with the structuring but the re-mastering and production brings it up to par in today’s metal scene. It’s thrash with a serious studio punch and kick. The updated release can stand up to many of the albums from 2005 and more than likely those to come in 2006.
There’s just not one song that stands out from the rest, all the songs stand out like the three inched spiked arm bands from back in the day. That was serious metal attire and Storm Alert is serious thrash metal.
If there had to be a selection or two made as prime cuts, track two “Ignominious Slaughter” and six “Terror King” reign pure supremacy. It’s Thrash metal the way it’s supposed to be played, with pure fury.
As an added bonus to the disc, two tracks from a demo session have been included, “Dwell into Surreality” and “Whips Pt 2" which is an instrumental.
A raging review of Storm Alert will not do justice for disc, the music has to be heard and felt and it may just trigger the burned out memory cells from the bullet belt sporting and straight leg denim days.
For the pimple faced metal head that wasn’t even on the radar of life back in 1989, the unearthing of Storm Alert will be just as satisfying as landing that piece of warm apple pie.