Genocide Pact - Order Of Torment album review

Washington DC hardcore/punk crew join the cult of death

Cover art for Genocide Pact - Order Of Torment album

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

Like Bastard Priest, Lair Of The Minotaur or the whole Vastum/ Acephalix gang, the guys in Genocide Pact are three former hardcore/punk musicians who also just happen to have a lifelong love affair with classic DM and the more socially conscious, Chaos AD-era Sepultura. Their musical pedigree means they’re not afraid of getting their hands dirty and their second album – and first for Relapse – is so brutish and downtuned it’s almost painful, especially with those cavernous vocals and sudden doomy parts. But when the band put their filthy hands on a good riff, they run with it, so even if the power trio format favours simple arrangements, most of the eight tracks – although mostly five minutes long – feels epic, gorging on chest-beating elements of their main influence, Bolt Thrower. Order Of Torment is ugly but it’s also damn heavy, so let the tanks roll!