Relentless Retribution 2010

"2010 is a good year for metal. There have been so many good releases across the board. "Relentless Retribution" by thrash metal legends Death Angel is yet another addition to this year's string of magnificent releases.

The album certainly lives up to its title as it contains several ass-kicking thrash metal tracks which draw on both traditional thrash metal of the 80s, groove metal of the 90s and modern thrash metal of the noughties with references to melodeath as well, and, this being Death Angel, there is melody and progression aplenty. "Claws in so Deep" contains all of these elements, and "Truce", "I Chose the Sky" (the chorus of this song totally kicks butt!), "Where They Lay" and "River of Rapture" are all out thrashers, and "This Hate" even draws on hardcore punk and is more of a crossover thrash track.

"Relentless Retribution" is a heavier, melodic yet brutal affair, as is "Into the Arms of Righteous Anger", which also contains a breakdown that would make any metalcore musician green with envy. "Absence of Light" is also a heavier, and slightly quirky, track which could have been inspired by Metallica's "Death Magnetic" album and some of Slayer's heavier tracks.

"Death of the Meek" is a midtempo track which contains some frenzied killer riffage and a more melodic, almost alt. metal, chorus. While all the other tracks are killer, this is, for the time being, my favorite off the album.

"Opponents at Sides" is more of an alt. metal track and "Volcanic" is a nice mellow acoustic ballad.

In all, "Relentless Retribution" is one of the best thrash metal releases of the year, and it proves that Death Angel are still among the heavy metal elite. Recommended to fans of thrash metal, old school as well as new school.

(review originally posted on metalmusicarchives.com)"