The Filipino thrashers have been on and off over the last twenty some years because of injury, personal issues and label conflicts. Their style has changed over the years as well. They started off as almost a punk thrash similar to Suicidal Tendencies have now become an epic thrash band.
Relentless Retribution was released in September of 2010. I remember the day I bought this CD. I was browsing Best Buy, as tradition on Taco Bell Tuesdays, and I saw the cover. My inner monologue saying, I didn't know Death Angel put out a new album, I didn't know they were still together and man that cover is completely badass. It's not unusual for metal bands to break up and form back together after 10-15 years, so I decided to pick it up. Right off the bat, its a relentless assault of metal in your face, but its so well crafted you don't mind being bludgeoned by their killer riffs. Every track has its distinct characteristics which is rare for a thrash album. It's easy to get caught up in a formula in this genre. Death Angel showed me that you can be brutal and beautiful at the same time. Take for instance, track number 2 - Claws In So Deep. The verses are thrashy as ever, the chorus is catchy, the bridge and solo bring it all together into a perfect symphony. The best is yet to come though. When the dust settles, you are left with a beautiful acoustic guitar medley performed by famous acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela. This CD shows how much thrash has evolved and how many cool things you can do within the genre without sacrificing the brutality and speed.
Key tracks: No.1 - Relentless Revolution, No. 2 Claws in so Deep, and No. 7 This Hate
Album art provided by amazon.com.
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