With a band name like Severe Torture and an album cover with a skull on it, you can probably figure out this won't be anything folky, mellow or progressive, and you'd be right. The Dutch band delivers fierce, straight ahead death metal.
Sworn Vengeance is pounding, brutal and extreme, but also has a surprising amount of groove. Very catchy riffs are on display, along with some brief but impressive solos. Severe Torture also does a nice job varying the tempos, going from a moderate, groovy pace to breakneck, blast beat packed insanity.
The vocals are the usual low-pitched death metal growls, and there are guest appearances from Jason Netherton (Misery Index, ex-Dying Fetus) and Che Snelping (ex-Born From Pain) on the track "Buried Hatchet." The regular edition is 10 tracks, but the limited edition also includes a couple of cover songs: Cro-Mags "It's The Limit" and Entombed's "Eyemaster." Sworn Vengeance is a first-rate death metal album.
