There are some things that make almost too much sense. Across the whole of the metal spectrum, there are so many deadly combinations out there that work stupendously well with the years showcasing thousands upon thousands of brilliant examples of that, yet one sound that is so obvious but doesn’t get enough time in the limelight is the union of thrash and death metal. It’s such an obvious concoction given the style’s illustrious history, but, in my experience, it’s not often enough that we get bands that are able to deliver on that vast potential. Throughout the whole of their second album, Pandemic Outbreak does extreme justice to the sound’s full potential.

Death metal was magnificently laced with and intimately intertwined to thrash from its inception with the early works of many founding titans showcasing loads of speed and tendencies that can be traced directly to that of thrash-fueled fury. Thus, I find it a little odd that not enough bands are coming out of the woodwork to highlight that particular section of the old school of death metal, but, of course, that doesn’t mean there aren’t those that can still do so to tremendous effect. Every year seems to have a few standout creations of death-thrash, and it’s with the arrival of Pandemic Outbreak’s “Torment Beyond Comprehension” that 2025 is given one more must-know stop for excellence in 2025. You could’ve put this record on the shelves of an underground store in 1989 and it would’ve fit perfectly! Captivating in its straightforwardness and all the more diabolical for it, “Torment Beyond Comprehension” takes its own name extremely seriously with the riffs, attitude, and undeniable craftsmanship of this record coming through brilliantly in a singularly brutal form that is a perfect fit for the fury that Pandemic Outbreak offers for an ironically slow demise. Intelligent in its approach and faithful to the first days of death metal, this is a record that is not to be ignored. Unless you want to find yourself crushed by the overwhelming, unending might that Pandemic Outbreak wields without prejudice for whoever is foolish enough to stand in its way, the outright intensity of “Torment Beyond Comprehension” speaks for itself many times over.

By no means is this a creation that redefines what it means to be a death-thrash work or something that was even designed to be as such, for it’s in the making of “Torment Beyond Comprehension” that Pandemic Outbreak had an interdimensional vision of a certifiable hellscape where screams permeate the air and death is the currency. Satisfying without question and menacing in every intent, Pandemic Outbreak has brought forth a performance that has so much to offer in spite of its relatively inside-of-the-box making. In no small form, this Polish act delivers what few others can.

“Torment Beyond Comprehension” releases on October 10th via Godz ov War Productions!

LISTEN to an advanced track from “Torment Beyond Comprehension” on Bandcamp here, or via YouTube below.

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