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The Retaliation Process: Downfall
25/03/10 || Trauma
I’ve been suffering from severe writer’s block lately. I know, I know, I’m not really a writer in the formal sense of the word. Whatever you call me, the case remains the same: I have no fucken idea what to write… even about a good band. So what about this group of Hamburgers?
This is your typical modern metal, I’d say. Not bad, no sir, but it doesn’t stray too much from the pack, or at least their inspirations. A big focus of the music here is on guitar melodies, which to me is always going to throw In Flames RIGHT IN MY FACE. Fear not, for In Flames they do not copy, but forever guitar melodies and *NFLAYMZ will fuse as one in my Encyclopedia of Metal. Speaking of that, it’s a twin guitar attack here, as well. Also some quite punchy bass, which means that the production is handled pretty well and everything sounds quite fine.
“Downfall” isn’t pushing the envelope for growling/howling/singing over top of melodic/tough-guy/chuggachugg/rocking riffage (you think I could do any more comparisons/assessments/comments/explanations?). That said, no one in the band for that matter is pushing the envelope. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, though. How far do you really want to push melody and “brutality” throughout and album? It’s more about how you balance it in your music, and that is where I think they’ve succeeded. It’s never quite boring to listen to, and will always have a cool melodic riff at least once in a song. The one aspect of the vocals I do not like is when he goes clean. It sounds just a bit lame, and he might be best skipping on that or doing it less often.
What does work against them when I listen to this album more than once, is that there’s nothing jumping out at you. It all works well together, but in such a way that I’m not going to drop my pants and pleasure the angry inc, I mean, twelve inches furiously because I heard this completely insane riff or drum fill. I think I heard a blast beat or two, but don’t get too excited if that’s what you get off on.
For a debut album, this is a job well done, but I’m not convinced of its longevity in my playlist quite yet. However, if they put out the same album again a couple years down the line, they’re going to get the big fuck you. For now, they will get a “Congratulations, fuckers”.
P.S. The drummer’s name is Kummer. Say it in English without a German accent. Go ahead. Now laugh and fuck off.
- Information
- Released: 2008
- Label: Silverwolf Productions
- Website: The Retaliation Process MySpace
- Band
- Christoph: vocals
- Jury: guitars
- Sascha: guitars
- Micha: bass
- Kummer: drums
- Tracklist
- 01. Uprising
- 02. Blindfolded
- 03. Four seasons of self mutilation
- 04. Bridge end…
- 05. …Prozac
- 06. Carnal addiction
- 07. Down
- 08. On the way back
- 09. Written in red ink
- 10. Uncertain
