After a lengthy decade of silence from Toronto based No Warning comes their brilliant third album. Although hailed as just another hardcore-punk outing Torture Culture is a multi-faceted head banger.
It’s with a rich texture married with cogent song writing that the return of No Warning is as brutal as it’s genuinely funky. Which is somewhat refreshing considering the state of modern music and also something that No Warning address by leading in example. Reeking with confidence the songs are also varied without featuring a dull moment.
Hardcore punk as a genre listing for this album is a bit of a misnomer. The sounds coming from it are so diverse and rocking, not to mention detailed, that comparing it to what punk is sold as now would be sacrilegious. There’s a lot going down on this album and although punk roots can’t be refuted they’re definitely not at the forefront.
Torture Culture is the logical conclusion of the early 90’s interpretation of metal and grunge, and almost a perfect harmony of them. It has the strength and audacity of Pantera while showcasing the delicacy and wit of Alice in Chains. This is a seriously powerful record. Something that at first glance may not be apparent.
Although it doesn’t take off with the strongest start as the album develops it becomes leviathan. It’s dirty tones become a bright but cold comfort amongst a tirade of coarse riffs and emphatic chords. While the hardcore vocals fix perfectly onto the mealy songs.
Fulfilling in itself if you’ve not have enough of No Warning you could get almost any Napalm Death album and turn the pitch up a few hundred cents and have an album similar to Torture Culture. In the grand scheme of things means No Warning might be the genesis of immense riffage that we never asked for and that in the ignorance of marketing muzik we didn’t know we needed. Destined to be underrated this album is fated to be a hidden gem.
10/10
