Swedish death metal masters
Tormented
return with
Death Awaits
, their first full-length since their debut album,
Rotten Death
, in 2009. While the band has kept busy in the time between, releasing both a split single with
Bombs of Hades
in 2011 and the
Graveyard Lust
EP in 2012,
is a more fully realized slab of punishing death metal, with vocalist/guitarist
Andreas Axelson
's vocals relatively clear in the mix, heightening the focus of the heavy production instead of opting for a lo-fi growl. Songs like "Blood Orgy," "Black Sky," and the brutal title track all show
in top form as dyed-in-the-wool death metal disciples, focusing on misery, gore, and almost horror movie levels of violence and metallic dread. ~ Fred Thomas