Band: Torture Squad

Title: Hellbound

Label: Wacken Records

Distribution: SPV

Release date: 28/04/2008

Review: CD

Torture Squad , hailing from Sao Paulo, Brazil, was formed in the first half of the nineties and in mean time they did gain a lot of popularity in South America. They went on tour with bands as Anthrax, Sepultura, Kreator, Krisiun, Exodus and many others and they played on huge festivals in South America. In 2006, finally, the band did also hit the European grounds (more specific: Germany and Austria) and last year they did win the Metal Battle competition in Germany, which resulted in the collaboration with this festival’s (more or less) own record label, Wacken Records. Hellbound, the first result, will conquer the European scene, that’s for sure. The album stands for firm and powerful Death / Thrash Metal with both an own approach as a rather ‘usual’ approach, yet without any copycat-feeling. Besides, the songs are very varying (tempo-changes and semi-breaks, yet also lots of variations between the individual songs), and I guess the pretty universal compositions will give the band the attention they need, and deserve, in the whole world. Don’t expect the most renewing album ever, yet Hellbound is a refreshing, mature and overwhelming effort.

80/100

Ivan Tibos.