Phew! Finally the all likeable thrasher cats from the Bay Area got their act together. As nice as the reunion was and still is, their latest records The Art Of Dying and Killing Season did not live up to expectations one might link to the name DEATH ANGEL. Live, no doubt, the guys always are a force to count on. But first with the third record Relentless Retribution they can close the gap on the classics The Ultra-Violence and Act III, everybody gets in mind when it comes to DEATH ANGEL.

The ride begins with the unwieldy and throttled title-track, giving Relentless Retribution a reserved dawn. Fortunately the grandiose Claws In So Deep falls into line and does not leave anything to be desired and besides, holds a very surprising finish. Following Truce scores with aggressive riffwork and a catchy refrain, while River Of Rapture, This Hate and Where They Lay offer the massive Thrash attack everybody was hoping for. Abscence Of Light again throttles, while Volcanic is a pure acoustic track, a habit that seemingly had come to love for DEATH ANGEL.
Generally speaking I can testify that speed got accelerated, whereby the Thrash-factor comes to the fore again. Something, I’m sure, won’t bother anybody ;)

Not that much more to say about Relentless Retribution. We finally get the sound we love the band for and doing so DEATH ANGEL strikingly well manage the act between tradition and modernity. They never negate their roots but sound fresh and modern at the same time, are strong and varied throughout the album. It also seems that singer Mark Osegueda had a lot fun in studio while recording his parts. Great thing, because his singing always is the icing on the cake. That’s the way we love DEATH ANGEL, that’s the way we want them to entertain us! Strong 8 points… and counting.