'Combustible' is a true posthumous release; thrash/speed metal band Tormented disbanded in 1996. The band's lead guitarist Larry LeBlanc gave these eight songs a new lease of life. All the stuff here is re-recorded by Mr. LeBlanc himself, with Gary Gallant handling the vocals. This album is not released because thrash metal is once again noticed, but to get this music properly released for the fans of the band.

Let's get over with this one and only true problem about this album: A bloody drum machine is utilized! While the bass drum and snare sounds are okay, the hi-hat and ride and cymbals sound truly crap and extremely thin. Must have been some cheap synthesizer from which the beats were pulled out. At least the kick drum and the snare are more powerful (the former actally too loud in the mix). I think that more careful creation of the beats should have been in order. This should have featured a flesh and blood drummer, period.

However, even the lame drum machine does not destroy Tormented's songs. They are well performed in every other respect and with energy, too. Tormented was influenced by North American thrash and speed metal. Most of the songs have groove in them, so it makes me think of North America immediately. And Tormented's countymen Annihilator of course (up to 'Waking the Fury' [2002]). 'Arsenal of Democracy' reminds me more than a bit of Slayer's 'Blood Red', especially its parts with vocals. Tormented sound Tormented, but they introduced nothing new to genre with these songs. The guitars are sharp and shredding, the bass is heavy and sometimes distorted and Mr Gallant's vocals are semi-melodic, raw manly roaring, somewhat in vein of Pro-Pain's Gary Meskil. Sadly, the vocals are not loud enough in the mix. The lyrical themes are familiar in this music style: Thoughts of a man sentenced to death, war, psychotic people and other negative elements of nowadays' societies.

About the bonus material: Five songs from Mr Leblanc's new band, Dead Reach, are included at the end of the disc. And nice songs they are. More wider in style than Tormented, these should appeal to those who don't boggle at a mixture of thrash and heavy metal and some hard rock thrown in. Very promising, indeed, sounding fresh yet old school at the same time. But again, that bloody drum machine!

In all, 'Combustible' is a goodie for the fans of the band because of "new" recorded material (6 songs are released for the first time on plastic), surely, but other thrashers should try it before spending money on it, mainly because of that damned drum machine! Anyways, this is easily better than nought judging by all the other elements. Still, caution needed.

Rating: 5½ (out of 10) ratings explained

Reviewed by Lane
07/27/2004 21:04