Retribution – Tales of Torment
Retribution is a new band from Sweden, formed in late 2022. Their first single Rikets Fall was powerful enough to make many black/death metal fans excited for the newcomers. Its not that they’re totally fresh or come up with something unique, but rearming the DISSECTION sound with a modern approach is always a welcome idea, and thats exactly what these four guys are about.
Tales of Torment is their first record, which also includes the previous singles and a total of 40 minutes of Scandinavian style black/death metal. Freezing atmosphere, melodic yet chilling leads, razor-sharp riffs and tight blast-beats conjures that indigeneous Swedish sound. The Final Jugdements kicks in after a relatively slow intro, establishing the raw, relentless sound of the youngsters. That aggressive approach is neve abandoned, not even at the final tremolos of Staring into the Void. I liked how they didn’t care much about the gloomy, doomy side of things, rather focusing on blast-beats and thrashing skank-beats.
This is a must for any black/death metal fan who enjoys Dissection and Swedish sound in general. I am amazed by these young musicians (oldest one is just 21) and how they can easily re-create the classic Swedish sound, without sounding like a copy-cat. I’ll keep an eye on Retribution, and eager to see what lies ahead.
