TORRENTIAL THRILL
TORRENTIAL THRILL “State of Disaster”
By Dr. Abner Mality
TORRENTIAL THRILL from Melbourne, Down Under make no bones about playing in a more commercial metal style. This is something lighter and brighter than most of what’s out there today and there’s nothing wrong with that if done well. I can’t say “State of Disaster” is total perfection, but it hits the mark it’s aiming for most of the time.
First off, the whole record has a 100% professional sound, loud, clear and with everything given equal clarity in the mix. The album has the sound quality you’d expect from a DEF LEPPARD or VAN HALEN effort. And they also play with an energy that can’t be faked. You can tell a lot of muscle and will was put behind the songs here.
Like many albums today, this is very much “front-loaded”, with all the heaviest and best tunes in the first half of the album. “Illusion” is a great start, loud and proud, with lots of melodic metal energy like the lighter JUDAS PRIEST. The vocals are sharp and tuneful and there’s crunch in the guitar riffs. “Role Model” and “High Society” follow in similar fashion, with definite overtones of the harder hair metal of the late 80’s. I think “High Society” goes too long and repeats itself a bit too much, which is a problem that pops up now and then on the album.
“ITCH” is a great high energy rocker with a kind of NWOBHM sound, my favorite cut on the album. Then comes the first ballad “Breathe”, which is well executed but marks a dividing point in the album. From here on out, things kind of settle down, with the songs going in slower tempo and becoming more accessible. “Know My Song” kind of reminds me of SOUNDGARDEN’s “Black Hole Sun” while “Color of Roses” is like a METALLICA ballad.
For me, “State of Disaster” runs a little bit too long, with some tracks meandering and it softens up a bit too much. But at every stage it is well performed and recorded and if you have a taste for the more upbeat and commercial side of heavy metal, TORRENTIAL THRILL can be recommended.