First of all, I can’t get past how utterly bad ass the vocals are because as anyone who knows me will attest, I am one of the biggest fans of Chris Barnes. Well, the Chris Barnes of old, at least, who I have always said had the quintessential death metal growl back in his day. So what I’m basically saying is that Ryan Hammann has the most killer death growl that I’ve heard since Barnes lost it about ten years ago or so. Very powerful.

Secondly, I love that this album can stay the course and never wander much from it’s intended direction, yet manages to keep my attention and not once did my mind drift to something else. Ok, ok, maybe it did somewhat during “Evil Will Rise” which was a little too “death n roll” for my taste, but you get the point. It takes a special album that can abandon diversity and avoid monotony. Not that this album is the same track repeated over and over again, but the formula is in place and strictly adhered to.

I can’t count how many times this album made me want to just bang my head mindlessly which tells me that Retribution must be a flat out blast to see live. This should translate to the live setting in dangerous fashion. Retribution is not going to blow you away with speed or technicality, they’re just going to punch you in the face and wait for you to ask, “thank you sir, may I have another?”

One of the only negative aspects I can find is that the production is a tad loud, I guess. It sounds like they nearly blew the speakers in the recording studio, which wouldn’t surprise me.

Overall, if you like your death metal dirtier than an east Texas mechanic’s shop and heavier than a cement truck assembly line, then Retribution is for you.

Highlight tracks for me are, “By the Light,” “Turn Around,” “Ultimate Idol,” and “Shattered.”