Finnish death metal band Torture Killer has provided an update on their new EP:

"It's now been nine years since our last release, Phobia (2013) - after a long creative dry season, as we were approaching the end of the decade, we finally had some fresh ideas for new Torture Killer music. Going back to the analog recording was something that had been on the back of our minds for some time. When we heard that Santeri (the guy who recorded Phobia and I Chose Death) had left the business - it was the time to explore that path. Now or never. None of us liked where the modern production had gone, and if the best of the best, our idols couldn't get it right... what did we have to lose? In February 2019 we entered Astia Studios with hopes to come out with a new, all analog EP. The beginning of a nightmare that would last for the next two years.

Some of the unorthodox approaches of recording that were done during the Astia sessions were instantly apparent when listening to the final mixes. We let our guard down at a moment when we should've known better. Rather than having a ready-to-go master in our hands, we had a reel of sub-bar level recording that had cost us the amount of a full length album. I'd burn that reel in an oil-barrel before having anyone else hear it the way it was. A disappointment like that takes the life out of you for months. You don´t even want to think about it. But as the months rolled on, we started to look for options where to fix the problems we had. Analog studios are few and far between. The ones that could run the reel we had were even fewer. But at the end we found a place, and in January 2020 we entered JJ Studios.

While we fixed the original flaws of the Astia sessions, we still struggled with the mix and at the end decided we had no choice but the let go of the all-analog dream and mix the EP ourselves with a help of a friend, Taneli Hatakka, who runs a home studio near the place we live. During the winter months of 2021 we finally finished the EP.

Like I said earlier, it´s been a nightmare, but it was worth it. We took a financial hit but fuck it. It's the end result that matters. Love the songs on the EP, love the sound and can´t wait for you to hear it.

Right now we are waiting our label to announce its release. Why the wait then? Because of the comeback of the vinyl format, all the pressing plants have a line of 4-6 months for all releases. We have an amazing cover art for this done by our old friend, Wes Benscoter, the same guy who did our cover art for Swarm! - and we want this done the right way - CD and LP. More news as they come.

So, in conclusion, thanks for sticking with us - we are still here and are about to drag you into the void."

(Picture by Toni Forssell, courtesy of Torture Killer's official Facebook page)