Nervecell answers the territorial question of what would happen if Dubai invaded ancient Egypt with musically-heavy atrocities. Breathing life and voice into their own god’s with thrashing loud, heavy, technical guitars, blistering drums and a voice from the abyss itself with bludgeoning death metal bowing to Nile, Morbid Angel, Deicide, Behemoth and Origin in the Middle East.
Formed in 2000, their first E.P. 2004’s Human Chaos earned opening slots for Sepultura and Machine Head at the Desert Rock Festival in 2005. The band later headlined a tour in Australia in 2007 performing at the Metal Camp Festival in Tolmin, Slovenia.
They spent 2009 touring, supporting first record Preaching Venom being the first Middle Eastern band to play major festivals like Wacken Open Air and Rock AM Ring among others.
Two years later Psychogenocide came in 2011 featuring Karl Sanders (Nile) as guest vocalist on “Shunq” making it the first extreme metal song featuring English and Arabic lyrics. Earning them great success, sales and recognition from their region and abroad, cited as one of the top 10 best death metal albums of the year by the metal community worldwide. They have taken their success to India, the Philippines, Turkey, Egypt, Bahrain and Qatar among others, so far.
The year ended with them opening for Metallica in front of 30,000 people at the Yas Arena in Abu Dhabi and supporting Morbid Angel on the Euro leg of the Illud Divinum Insanus Tour.
Past, Present…Torture spits out devouring tales of worldly events and happenings with warnings of not learning from history’s past when moving forward. The beast from the Middle East returns as guitars scream out the gods commands from beneath the sands. From the beginning to the end, it’s a relentless, perpetual brain pummeling with vocalist and bassist James Khazaal, and guitarists Barney Ribeiro and Rami H. Mustafa.
A record that pours lyrical bloodshed with tortures prolonged through blasting bass, drums and merciless guitars.
“Intro” starts with Egyptian and Middle Eastern notes playing with bombastic drums and loud thudding guitars. Shadows of Nile with the breath of loud violent history channeled through the strings.
The double kick bass of “Aadvent” starts as the gods and demons scream. Death metal vocals, scavenge over the songs like a demonic narrator, poured from the mouth of the gods with famine, battles and wars while guitars soul-tear through solos telling stories of men seeking treasure, finding curses. Blast beats hammer under Anubis’s feet and guitars march with his army.
“Proxy War” is paced with war beast speed pummeling the feet and face like merciless advancing army’s. Emotional searing notes wail surrounding magnum force riffs as vocals end drifting away into the darkness.
“D.N.A (Diruo Nocens Acervus),” plays with the genetic seeds of bloodshed torn apart and rooted in history wiring to mankind’s preoccupation with war and violence, advancing with technology and science.
“Abyssviand” stomps the brain, ears and vertebrae senseless with breakneck, jerk back pace. “Hypnosis” slows the pace, giving a fire-touched breather with guitars dancing through flames playing an enchanting tale.
The ceremonial charm of “Malice Within” hinders the ears from its hidden coming bombardment of guitars and drums. “Dawn of Decimation” plants the earliest seeds of conquering bloodlust driving riffs through the skin like medieval torture devices.
“Habitual Deceit’s” bulldozer riffs march forward with skill crushing intent, leaving paths of merciless crushed dust and bone. “Maqabre” weaves the macabre with harsh notes and the diabolical voice of evil.
“Tree of Lies” smashes walls and eardrums from first note to final. “Treading Beneath,” as above, so below with a dark slower ominously picked instrumental.
Title track “Past, Present…Torture” ends the pummeling penance with decimation.
