Tourniquet – Antiseptic Bloodbath

When a band does nine years to release an album, most people think that probably the band has retired or departed, but Tourniquet is quite an exception! After their last album ”Where Moth and Rust Destroy” in 2003, here they are in 2012 with a new album! Tourniquet is quite a unique band because they incorporate so many different styles into their music, which I like to hear in bands, it’s sometimes boring to hear only one style from a band, over and over again. So here the band once again is incorporating from classical influences to thrash influences from bands like Slayer and Megadeth to prog influences like Dream Theater. The band hasn’t lost it’s form at all over the past nine years, Tourniquet still write classically-infused technical thrash metal, have in the very foundation of each song some of the most frantic and complex drumming imagined, saturated the record with both high caliber soloing and riffing, throw in some philosophical, scientific, socially and theologically compelling lyrics, and finally, thrown the voice in covering a large number of vocal styles.

Each song has its own unique feeling and story, as each song moves on, the music provides the listener with an almost refreshing feeling of thought and enjoyment. The high complexities of each song are incredible and areeverything that progressive music is about. Also the classical influences of the intros to “The Maiden Who Slept In The Glass Coffin”, “Lost Language Of The Andamans” and “Fed By Ravens, Eaten By Vultures” are some of the most moving on the whole record. Very impressive are the guest soloista on this great album: Bruce Franklin of Trouble, Karl Sanders of Nile, Marty Friedman formerly of Megadeth, Pat Travers, and Santiago Dobles of Aghora.

Pat Travers lays down a total rock ‘n roll/heavy metal lead on the title track of “Antiseptic Bloodbath” which is one of the most amazing tracks on the album. All the leads on “The Maiden Who Slept in the Glass Coffin” are laid down by Marty Friedman whom we all know from Megadeth and his personal career so you can imagine what is going on in this track. The very opening of “Chamunda Temple Stampede” by the amazing Karl Sanders who set the frets and strings on fire. In doing so, he goes on to lay down one of the best leads on the record. Santiago Dobles simply adds total magic to “Lost Language of the Andamans”, really bringing a fusion-prog feel to his leads. Finally, the lead by Bruce Franklin at the end of the opening track “Chart of the Elements (Lincchostbllis)” is amazing.

The musical experience of this record is mostly killer and no real filler, and because of this, “Antiseptic Bloodbath” can be easily on “2012 best albums” list. From the maniacally frantic drumming to the axe shredding. Instead of blindly following the musical masses, Tourniquet gives us a neo-classical thrashterpiece that doesn’t sound tired or old, but in fact, refreshing and very creative. If you haven’t given Tourniquet a chance yet, ”Antiseptic Bloodbath”truly is an opportunity you shouldn’t miss and could be refreshing amidst the many boring genre-soundalikes, and find the rebirth of your musical taste with a dynamic appreciation of one of this year’s most unique and complete releases.