Water Torture - "S/T"

The recent addition of Buffalo, NY's powerviolence champions Water Torture to next years Maryland Deathfest is a huge HUGE deal to me. Very happy to see these guys, buddies of mine, to be playing a show of this level. The additions of Pizza Hi Five, Mother Brain and Suffering Mind tells me that someone at MDF is doing some quality digging in the underground. But we all probably can say It's honestly something that we knew was going to happen. Since 2014 has been yet another pretty big year in their steady climb in global domination. A with +HIRS+, a 12" discography LP (in Euro and US pressings) and a European tour among many upcoming releases have all made their way into 2014. Their original demo/self-titled EP has also gotten a lot of attention, and the vinyl treatment from Mannequin Rein records a few months ago. I finally picked up a copy when I was in Buffalo for the Summer Scum fest. Figured this would be a good chance to show off this incredible release's past incarnations too.

To me this still stands as one of my favorite Water Torture releases. It has a murky, dark, lo-fi'ness that they haven't gone back to since. And songs like "Cursed", "Amber Grey" and of course "Grey" are still some of the bands best and heaviest. It's great to finally hear this on wax, these tracks are brutal as ever.

Mannequin Rein did a fantastic job with this record. The cover looks exactly how I always pictured it would 7"x7". Nice, thick double-sided sleeve too, all hand numbered. The entire record takes up one whole side of the record, which I think is a pretty smart move. No gaps in between this, just straight forward start to finish. The "secret track" that came with the original download that features Madison from Cloud Rat is sadly absent though. I think they put it on the split 7" with Hades Mining Co. which I have yet to get.

Mannequin Rein knows how to get collector scum like me all excited. Almost all of their vinyl releases have several variants of sometimes ludicrously small quantities. As you can see, all info is scribed on the sleeve.

I also managed to snag one of those test presses mentioned above. Lucky me lucky me. 

Now way back in 2012 this demo was originally released on a cassette as a split with the short lived Buffalo sludge band Dirt Eyes. I think I bought this from the band or got it in a trade with Mr. Goodrich, I honestly can't remember. Very nice J-card, fully screen printed on thick cardstock. The dubbing on my copy is just a touch overblown. Which I think adds to the sound. 

The demo also got a VERY limited European release by the german grind label Knochen Tapes. I haven't really kept up with them much, outside of a couple solid compilations they've put together. This is a pretty nice looking tape too. Solid art, grim looking J-card, and the dub is superb. Wisely going with a single-sided release as well. This thing is limited to 60 copies.

Ain't they pretty? Can't wait to see these guys destroy Baltimore next year.

~VII

Dead Fields

Continuing my Suffering Mind postage, here we have the very latest release from the band, the split 7" flexi with the almighty Water Torture. White flexi, 33 RPM, I believe the white is limited to 100.

Water Torture isn't the first band you would normally think of doing a split with Suffering Mind, but I'm certainly not complaining. Without a doubt, two of the most solid bands playing their style of aggressive music that are going right now. This was originally going to be a 5" (so again, one song from each band), which would have been amazing, but this flexi is definitely not a cheap last resort. Everything here looks ver neat and tidy, and the flexi itself sounds great.

Suffering Minds track is fucking great. One of the more crushing tracks I've heard from their splits. There's an incredibly heavy and kinda catchy palm muted chorus, and the snare drums is like a slap in the face with a crowbar. Water Torture went all out doom and gloom on their side, nothing they've ever shied away from. Thomas's vocals sound particularly slow and wretched, more then anything else he's put on wax yet.

Pick this up at Mannequin Reign Productions.

~VII

Black Blood

Water Torture just never stop delivering the goods. Gotdamn. This time around, we have a RIPPER of a split 7" with Six Brew Bantha, which couldn't be more perfect. Both bands really made a name for themselves in the underground last year, seems only natural that they would pair up. This is the pre-order variant, purple vinyl, 33 RPM. Brought to us by a great up and coming label called Nice Dreams Records.

Very unusual stuff from Water Torture on their side. They're always evolving and experimenting with recordings, and instrumentation, and this time they've added a guitar player to the fold, who totally dominates the mix. The bass is nearly inaudible. Kinda weirdo-powerviolence stuff, there's a lot of riffs that you don't really hear in the genre on here. I dig it, not sure if they'll every do something like this again.

Six Brew Bantha might win with their side though. Holy fucking shit, these songs are vicious. The bands goes absolutely fucking A-wall on here. Completely brutal, but still incredibly tight. The guitar work is excellent, and they still have the best loose/tight snare sound going. This stuff is dynamite.

Those who pre-ordered got the purple variant, of which there is 100 of. There's also 100 on clear and 100 on blue, which were intended for the bands to take on tour. I kind of want them both, cause I'm nerdy like that.

Snag this, listen to both bands, treat your ears to something tasty. 

~VII

For Nothing

So, Matt, my friend who was kind enough to trade me Extortion's - "Terminal Cancer" 7", is also in a stupidly good bass/drum powerviolence band called Water Torture, who just released their 2nd EP, "Shellfire!" on Diseased Audio Records. Black vinyl, 45 RPM.

I was a huge fan of their "S/T" EP they released last year, and this new one is by far one of the best things I've heard all year. Unforgiving, heavy powerviolence, you can't fuck with this! The recording is much better than their last EP, the bass tone is a lot less murky and more cut-throat and bright. The songs are fast for the most part, but when they break it down to the slow and sludgy, it's punishing. Some noise and power electronics are thrown in for good measure. 

Great cardstock sleeve with a double-sided insert. 

The first 25 pre-orders got this sick back patch, which will be sewn on my hoodie very soon. Get wise to Water Torture right now.

~VII