Band:	Tort
Album:	Void Addiction
Style:	Sludge metal
Release date:	July 2019

01. Imperium Diabolicus
02. Predominance
03. Pike, Darts & Chopper
04. Transmuted In Embers
05. Reborn In The Grave

First off, the Tort is a lie. Before the album begins they promise Void Addiction will be "smoother than any trip you've ever had"? Yeah, if your idea of a smooth trip is being dragged along behind a slow moving car over gravel and asphalt while being bellowed at by a Balrog. You know, TORTure.

I referred to their prior album, II as a "paella of misery" - to keep with culinary themes and to showcase my new appreciation for Basque cuisine, Void Addiction is a sludge-coated pintxo of pain.

The key ingredients of their past works remain relatively unchanged.

For the most part you get slow, heavy almost thrashy-riffs played at doom tempos accompanied with the aforementioned Balrog-roar vocals and movie clips tossed in for intros or outros. It's an absolutely ugly formula that worked for the past two releases and continues to do so here.

Some of the changes, if you are familiar with their past efforts, are the super-cheesy audio clips from schlock horror flicks invoking Satam have now been replaced by ones like the above. Lots of groovy references to the hippie lettuce. "Marijuana is sorcery!"

Additionally, past records at times counterpointed the bellowing RAWR vocals with higher pitched BM style rasps or even shrieking. This continues here, used sparingly, but also sees their third album toss in a third vocal approach? just distant shouting that I found reminiscent of some of Al Jourgenson's work in Ministry's stuff like "Stigmata".

If you've ever wondered what would happen if Tort shifted out of first (Doomsludge Slowgring) or second (Slow-mo-head speed) gear, you'll likely enjoy "Pike, Darts & Chopper" where the band really go full bottle, full throttle and hit a rollicking tempo where you can headbang in real time! Sure it'd be the thrash equivalent of a slow jam, but compared most their work it feels like they've gone full Marduk-mode.

The extra-length closer "Reborn In The Grave" sends the album on a low note complete with howling woman invoking Satam over a storm as the band doomgrinds on.

So yeah, if you hunger for an ugly sludge-doom hybrid guaranteed to offend your earhole, this might be right up your alley.

Bandcamp Addiction