Author: Sebastijan Videc
Artist: Resistance, The
Label: Ear Music Records
Release: 2015
Runtime: 27:20
Rating: 4/5
The Resistance, a Swedish »super group« made up of former members of bands like In Flames, The Haunted, Grave and others, is deep in preparations for the release of their second full-length album. But so the wait doesn’t drag on too long, the Scandinavians have put out an EP called Torture Tactics to kill the boredom.
If you’ve listened to their debut Scars (review HERE), you already have a rough idea of what awaits you when you hit PLAY on your CD player. Short but vicious tracks will rain down on you like an avalanche of rounds from a 7-barrel GAU-8 aircraft cannon, with the same killer, pinpoint efficiency. You’ll take an uncompromising shot to the head right from the opener »For War«, and it won’t let up until the tenth and final track on the EP has spun out. »For War« is an angry song with interesting rhythm changes and a thundering rhythm section, perfect for giving your neck muscles a workout. The following »Dead« continues in a similar vein, just at a slightly slower tempo, which makes it even more crushing. »Cowards«, »Deception« and »The Burning« keep torturing your neighbors’ successful drummers, and the sound at moments recalls everything from early Arch Enemy to the hardcore elements of Hatebreed. The all-out rampage is only interrupted by the instrumental »Dying Words«, which, in the middle of all the rage and hostility we feel in their songs, seems like a break to smoke a cigarette, wipe off the blood and get ready for another round of taking it out on the victims. And in a way, that’s exactly what it is.
The first six tracks on Torture Tactics are in fact new material, while the remaining four are taken, in pairs, from their first EP »Rise of Treason« (»Slugger«, »Face to Face«) and the album »Scars« (»Expand to Expire«, »I Bend – You Break«). »Torture Tactics« works as a cross-section of the band’s output so far, spiced up with older tracks that further underline the group’s musical development to date. Thirty minutes does fly by, but the fact that a new album is right around the corner more than makes up for that “shortcoming”.
Lineup
Marco Aro – vocals
Jesper Strömblad – guitar, bass guitar
Glenn Ljungström – guitar, bass guitar
Christofer Barkensjö – drums
Production
Jocke “Wizard” Skog
Track List
1. For War
2. Dead
3. Cowards
4. Deception
5. The Burning
6. Dying Words
7. Slugger
8. Expand To Expire
9. Face To Face
10. I Bend You Break
