My initial reaction to Obligatorisk Tortyr, before I actually heard the band, was of complete awe. Following a link to their homepage from nasum.com, for some reason I pretty much immediately went for their lyrics section, and was greeted with lyrics to every song off this album – by far the best lyrics I have ever came upon in extreme metal. All but three songs on Obligatorisk Tortyr are in Swedish, assuming "3+3" is not in English, which I don’t know since the lyrics for it aren’t included in the booklet. Shared among all three of the group’s members, Obligatorisk Tortyr’s lyrics mirror a volume of anger, hatred and desperation unparalleled by anything I have ever come across. Thankfully for all you non-Scandinavians out there, everything is translated to English, although inevitably this has taken away quite a bit of the initial effect. Still, vocalist, guitarist and lyricist Jens has managed to keep the effect intact enough not to ruin the lyrics. Musically, Obligatorisk Tortyr thoroughly fucking carpet bombs 90% of today’s grindcore scene. Mixing obvious Slayer influences ("Icke-humanitär" being a perfect example of this) into their already excellently crafted FUCKING GRINDCORE with drumming reaching speeds unexpected outside a Cryptopsy album, this band mows the shit out of anyone who dares approach. Vocals are handled by Viktor and Jens, bassist and guitarist respectively, and perfectly shift between Viktor’s ultra-aggravated high-pitched screams (at times very reminiscent of Varg Vikernes of Burzum, but light years beyond in aggression) and Jens’ growls and mid-range screams. Viktor screams the one verse start of "Du är så svag" like a man possessed, syphilitic to the bone, swallowing shattered glass as he stabs himself in the neck with the razor sharp wit displayed in his lyrics. Beating around your mother’s bush aside, if you like your Swedish grindcore, you will shit yourself in sheer fucking ecstasy. If you don’t, then you might as well just fuck off and fall off a mountain, ’cause you obviously haven’t a fucking clue.

"Nothing/Never"
(Aldrig/Inget)

Razors too sharp to inflict any pain
Dig down to the bone, feel the warmth
Remember when you felt anything at all
Make a list of everything that wasn’t false

Nothing / Never

Love so warped that life disappears
The flood of shit is reaching your ears
Stop for a while, is anything true
Is life after all worth nothing at all

The enigma of life is solved: it’s all shit
Nothing and never, my answer to everything"

Review byAngry Norse