Atrocious Retribution

From the opening track to the end, I pretty much predicted every transition, had a lot of repeating riffs, and riffs that only slightly varied, and I usually listen to a lot of really technical music, but I really get the image of a bunch of guys who play this shit not trying to impress anyone, but doing it because the love the HELL out of doing it, and THAT DOES reflect in their music.

That is a subtle thing many music critics overlook is that these guys probably at one point weighed the fun of playing brutal sounding shit, versus breaking new ground musically, and I'm glad that they chose to just enjoy their shit. There's so many technical bands out there if you need that kind of fix, this is very reminiscent of a more groovy cross-breed of old Suffocation and old Cannibal Corpse, producing a sound which really appeals to my taste.

Even if the drummer is about as creative as the drummer from Cannibal Corpse (which is not really that creative) I personally wouldn't want a really flashy insane drummer for either Strangulation OR Cannibal Corpse, those are two bands where you're not supposed to focus on any one part of the music and just enjoy the simple atmosphere they can build and the Brutality they can pummel out.. even if they seem to really like their choice riffs enough to play them on and on.

on and on and rock on dudes \m/

The most mind numbing, frustrating aspects about reviewing music is finding the ability to come up with something new for something that has been repeated ad nausem. I guess we all do it out of respect for the time and effort most bands put into their music, but trying to dress up a review with colorful prose and adjectives while knowing all along that what you’re describing is nothing but the same shit under a different name can be damn well infuriating. This is my problem with Sweden’s ‘Strangulation’.

No matter how I try to put it, there is no getting away from the fact that Strangulation love Cannibal Corpse. They also love Suffocation. And they love Deicide. They may come from Sweden, but Strangulation lean heavily towards the American Death Metal sound. If you want some sort of home-style comparison, then Vomitory would suffice, but then again, they too love the American DM sound and style. Digesting these influences, ‘Atrocious Retribution adds up to one thing only - some serious death metal blasting. And nothing but!

Strangulation have laid down a nine track and seriously short 26 minute death metal affair in ‘AR’. They make no apologies for their lack of innovation or their love for all things ‘Tomb of the Mutilated’ or ‘Once Upon the Cross’. Track after track, Strangulation deliver waves and pummeling riffage, blasting snare work, rolling rhythms and pit inducing grooves (see, I told you it was hard to come up with new descriptions..Ha!). Backed by a typically dry (American Death Metal) sounding production (from Markus Nowak), Strangulation is indeed flying the flame for intensity and extremity in music. It all charges along in fine style; A slightly over-done style, but still, fine enough.

BUT (and you knew that was coming hey?), this is where is all comes to a grinding halt for me. As much as Strangulation impresses me with their musical dexterity and pummeling quotient, there is nothing they can do to remove the foul stench of ‘repeatitis’ (I think I just made that word up?) in the air. By that I mean Strangulation are pure and simply cannon fodder death metal. Put ‘em in a field with a dozen (no make that 10 dozen) other like-minded death metal bands and fire at random. Would we miss Strangulation if they were taken down? Probably not. Strangulation does what they do real well. But it just isn’t enough anymore. They don’t give me anything new whatsoever. And yes, I realize that this is not the point, but fucking hell punters, the only people who will try this album out are rabid death metal worshippers that have to have anything and everything that sounds like a dozen other bands before them. If Strangulation are content with that then good luck to them.

Strangulation, despite all their good intentions are, in my eyes at least, a solid, but oh so run of the mill death metal act. ‘Atrocious Retribution’ has that classic old school DM sound about it, but do we really need repeated again? Simply, if your tastes in heavy music are varied, there are tons more innovative Death Metal bands to get into than to waste your time on this act. If you listen to Death Metal and nothing else, then Strangulation are your new favorite band. I know which camp I’m in.