The Damage Was Done: A Concert Review of Tortured Demon

Written By Kevin McSweeney

Since forming in 2018, Oldham brothers Jacob and Joe Parkinson have been making waves in the UK thrash scene with their band, Tortured Demon. The duo has released two albums independently, taking their high-energy live shows across the country. Before turning 18, they’d toured with UK thrash legends Evile and Xentrix, all while crafting their second album, Rise of the Lifeless, which earned critical acclaim.

Blending thrash riffs, hardcore breakdowns, and technical drumming with a focus on strong songwriting, Tortured Demon is revitalizing the UK metal scene. Their growing fanbase and reputation for explosive performances show they’re just getting started.

Tortured Demon at The Junction, Plymouth UK, 10/11/2024

The Sunday evening serenity in Plymouth was truly shattered on the 10th of November, as Oldham thrashers Tortured Demon made their way to the South Devon coast on their UK Assault tour, and those within earshot of the venue would certainly have felt as if they were under attack. The thunderous rumbling of drums, downtuned guitars and larynx-shredding roars drifted ominously across Mutley Plain.

They promised a combination of thrash riffs and hardcore breakdowns which were delivered in abundance. Plymouth has a bay area that felt as though the venue was transported to a different time back in the 1980s. The set opened with Rise of the Lifeless to a blistering pace that seldom let up for the rest of the show. Their set began right on time, and so did the crowd, with a fierce pit immediately opening up. Imposing specimens of great physical strength began smashing into each other with full force including one or two plucky young women bravely mixing it up with the burly men of Plymouth. (Such was its ferocity, an idiot who shall remain nameless, in attendance to cover the gig for a certain metal-orientated website, found himself constantly strafed with high-velocity moshers firing from the pit in a manner not entirely conducive to his efforts to take photos and make notes!)

There was time for a double-fisted salute from frontman Jacob Parkinson before they launched into Virtual Death showcasing the songs variety of pace, time signatures and anthemic chorus. The Invasion, which matched the opener for speed and intensity came complete with a face-melting solo from Jacob Parkinson, followed by a call for fists in the air. The first manifestation of the hardcore-style breakdowns at its conclusion.

Conflict of Interest began with some Van Halen-style tapping from Rory Marsland-Smith, but any similarity to the iconic stadium rockers was swept away by a tidal wave of titanic thrash. Melody however did make an unexpected appearance in the form of a four-chord progression in the chorus. A switch to mid-paced 12/8 time in the middle section prompted much windmilling of hair from those with the follicles for it. The song concluded with Jacob Parkinson calling for the crowd to “keep the energy up” – a huge ask, but one that did not go unanswered. The fifth song, Disfavour, opened with some mid-paced melodic riffing over Joe Parkinson’s rolling kick drums that leaned in the direction of metalcore. Indeed, the faster verse and re-emergence of four-chord melody in the chorus brought Killswitch Engage to mind.

A dark piano-driven minor-key melody, similar to the opening section of Biohazard’s What Makes us Tick, was introduced In Desperation’s Grip. A song written when the Parkinson brothers were in their early teens – not that you could tell, as they managed to combine their youthful energy with a songwriting maturity beyond their tender years. Needless to say, their years were the only thing tender about the song. The chugging riff in the middle brought to mind Agnostic Front, and prompted an outbreak of NYHC-style two-step dancing, much to the delight of the band. The contrast between old and new was clear as the latest single, Nothing Left to Say, demonstrated that the intensity of their new material matches that of their previous work, featuring a powerful exchange of guttural vocals between Jacob Parkinson and bassist Luke Entwistle, alongside dissonant lead guitar from Rory Marsland-Smith.

Proceedings were concluded with the superbly-named A Knee to the Face. A title that encapsulates all that went on that evening. There was nothing subtle about this. It was bold, brash and unashamedly heavy, and all the more enthralling for it. Jacob Parkinson paid tribute to those who had joined them that evening witnessing the brutality of their UK Assault. The warm welcome they received during their first visit to the South West was nothing short of an assault on their senses. A maelstrom of toms and kick drums from one Parkinson and a call for more fists in the air from the other gave way to warp-speed blast beats and, later, a breakdown that ensured one last frenzy in the pit. Jacob Parkinson’s parting shot was barely audible over the deafening salvo of drums that ensued bringing their set to a close. The band posed for selfies with the sweaty and bruised bodies before them. They left the stage to a roaring applause from the audience.

My only complaint? It was over too quickly. They performed for an hour but it felt like five minutes. This is perhaps necessary, in the same way it is necessary to serve strong liquor in much smaller measures than beer. Music of this caliber and abrasiveness takes its toll on performers and crowd alike. The sheer physical exertion required of those on both stage and in the pit is considerable. The late English rock DJ Tommy Vance once described thrash metal, specifically in reference to Slayer’s performance at the Donington Monsters of Rock festival in 1992, as requiring the precision of a fighter pilot and the stamina of an athlete. Anyone who witnessed the frenetic riffing, elaborate soloing, and gruelling drumming on display this evening would struggle to dispute Vance’s claim.

TORTURED DEMON SET LIST

Rise of the LIfeless
Virtual Death
The Invasion
Conflict of Interest
Disfavour
In Desperation’s Grip
Nothing Left to Say
The Damage is Done
Erase Your Life
Global Threat
A Knee to the Face

Lineup:

Jacob Parkinson – Vocals/Guitar
Joe Parkinson – Drums
Rory Marsland-Smith – Guitar
Luke Entwistle – Bass