Retador - Ear​ë​ndel

Labels: Xtreem Music

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 21 Jan 2025

Tracklist:

1. Ear ë ndel

2. Somos Eternos

3. La Sombra de tu Existir

4. Redes

5. Lux Ferre

6. Asesino

7. Profanado

8. Terror en la Noche

9. Abismo 52 (outro)

Spanish thrash metal quartet Retador are due to release their second album Ear ë ndel via fellow Spanish extreme metal label Xtreem Music later this month, whom also released their debut self-titled album back in 2023. Retador have been compared to German teutonic thrash bands like Kreator and Sodom, as well as earlier Sepultura and Death Angel amongst others. If those comparisons don't wet your appetite for this album, then hopefully that striking cover art will.

It’s absolutely freezing here at the moment. The pavements are slick with ice and it’s been close to -10 over the last couple of days in the evenings. I didn’t write anything last night due to being exhausted after trudging through snow and making sure I didn’t stack it on the ice. Some good old comforting Spanish thrash metal is thankfully close to hand tonight, as is a lovely glass of red wine. 

Album opener and title-track ‘Ear ë ndel’ may first appear as an intro track but it’s so much more than that, as Retador’s excellent thrash metal bursts into life with uptempo instrumentation and harsh, old-school vocals (including some excellent falsettos too!). I go back and forth with thrash metal at times, as I find some bands to be quite atonal and rigid in their song-writing; however, there are times when a band comes out of seemingly nowhere and smacks me clean in the chops. 

On the strength of the opener, Retador are definitely the latter. I’m hoping it’s not just there to pull you in and ’’Somos Eternos’ proves it isn’t. It’s maybe not quite as theatrical in the guitar-department but the gang vox and extra falsettos, alongside the consistently amazing percussion and bass seal the deal early on. Later on it’s the turn of the guitars to truly work their magic again, as epic solos give way to twin-leads and furious riffs. 

I feel this write-up is going to be longer than originally planned, but I don’t really care when the music’s this good. ‘La Sombra de tu Existir’ initially sounds slightly more restrained but the chains are removed before too long as the music switches up a notch once again. I’ve already said that I think this year’s gonna be another stellar year for metal and I stand by that statement. Retador are flying the flag for thrash as a sub-genre and they really stand out!

‘Redes’ sees Retador presenting the most barbaric and straight-forward version of themselves in thrash metal terms. They fit in a couple of epic guitar solos and twin-guitar passages later on but this is still one of their heaviest songs so far. ‘Lux Ferre’ follows in pretty much the same format. No time is wasted and no quarter given As the album crosses over to it’s latter half, Retador’s catchiness continues to amaze and surprise.

‘Asesino’ is not a tribute to the US band of the same name. Instead, it’s gang-vox fuelled proto-thrash that pulls no punches, even when Retador pull off a melodic instrumental mid-section. If you long for simpler times when the sub-genre was fast and full of unbridled rawness then you’ll find plenty to enjoy here. ‘Profanado’ comes at you with a very different feel early on, with a brooding mid-paced intro that leads into off-kilter musicianship and semi screamed/sung vocals. That formula is retained throughout the rest of the song to great effect.

Before you even realise it, you’re at penultimate song ’Terror en la Noche’ and it’s where Retador deliver their final (full) precision blast of Spanish thrash metal. It’s another frenetic song and it leads instantly into the album’s closer ‘Abismo 52’, which is an instrumental outro of epic proportions! To summarise, I can’t fault this record. That it’s only the 2nd release from Retador is mind-blowing as well. You have nine days to wait for the official release and it’ll definitely be worth that wait.

You can stream album track 'Asesino' and watch it's accompanying video on bandcamp below, where digital pre-orders are also open:-

Retador Instagram - @retador_oficial

Physical vinyl/cd pre-orders are live via Xtreem Music here too - https://www.xtreemmusic.com/shop/

Xtreem Music - https://www.facebook.com/xtreemmusic666

Necropsy - Exitus (Xtreem Music)

Labels: Xtreem Music

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 21 Jan 2020

Tracklist:

1. Meat Ceremony

2. Fucking Dead

3. 206 Motives

4. Butcherado

This is likely going to be the last review of my little series focusing on Finnish extreme metal. I say likely because I may do one more today, as long as my hi-fi plays ball (the other review didn't happen, sorry). Exitus is the newest EP from death metallers Necropsy. They've been releasing music since way back in 1989, with several demos and a split coming before an eighteen year break between 1993 and 2011, when their first full-length Bloodwork saw the light of day. Now and following their 2015 full-length Buried In The Woods, the quintet returns to show newer bands how it's done.

Here we go. The review I tried to write this morning before writer’s block hit. Now I don’t know if I’m correct here but is this Necropsy (there are quite a few bands with the same name according to Metal Archives!) the same band that made Noisem change to their current name? Let me know in the comments. Anyway, forgetting that for a minute, this is death/doom of the highest order in a form that only the Finn’s can achieve. Opener ‘Meat Ceremony’ is mid-paced but still nasty enough to sit within the death metal sphere. The instrumentation is super clear on this recording (especially the guitars) and the vocals are deep in tone, which is exactly what you want. 

The aptly titled ‘Fucking Dead’ is straight-to-the-point in death/doom terms at least. It proves that experience means more than enthusiasm and Necropsy has more experience than most within the genre. The riffs are huge and thick with atmosphere, while the whole band is cohesive, as if they’re glued together physically.  

The groove is real on ‘206 Motives’ and it starts right from the off. It’s the longest song on the EP and therefore it’s the doomeist. It’s a dirge-laden slab of death metal with some awesome traditional/heavy metal influences and at times it reminds of Insomnium (a band that may or may not have been influenced by Necropsy themselves). Like the rest of the EP, it’s an engaging listen that really draws you in. 

Final song ‘Butcherado’ is at odds with the other songs on the EP. It’s a raging and fast death metal song that barely lasts beyond three minutes and shows off Necropsy’s more brutal side. Musically, it’s still more than solid and it makes use of their collective writing/recording nouse as well as their instrumental skill. It’s over all too quickly, as is this EP.

It’s going to be hard for other bands playing death/doom to match this release in 2020. Necropsy just seem to have the aura and the musicality to nail it from start to finish. This is a great release and Xtreem Music has done a great job sticking by the band and helping them to flourish. 

Stream and purchase Exitus digitally below:-

CD copies can be ordered from Xtreem Music here - http://shop.xtreemmusic.com/.

Necropsy - https://www.facebook.com/NECROPSY

Xtreem Music - https://www.facebook.com/xtreemmusic666/

Cruentator - Ain't War Hell?

Labels: Xtreem Music

Formats: CD/Digital

Release Date: 10 Jan 2018

Tracklist:

1. Merciless Extermination

2. Tyrants Of The Wasteland

3. Barbaric Violence

4. Evil Is Prowling Around

5. The Nightstalker

6. Marching Into A Minefield

7. The Shining Hate

8. Cluster Terror

The sudden urge to check out new thrash metal has been calling me all day, so what better way to scratch that itch than with Italian quintet Cruentator and their debut album "Ain't War Hell?". It was released in January via Xtreem Music and is the band's debut record. Cruentator formed out of brutal death metal band Bowel Stew in 2015 and their influences include the likes of Demolition Hammer, Kreator & Sodom to name a few. It sounds like this is going to be a lot of fun!

Cruentator’s thrash is definitely as furious as their bio suggests. Opening song Merciless Extermination is fast, with a volume to match, though the guitars are slightly buried underneath the drums and the vocals initially. They do have chops though and an eye for a solid thrash solo. They absolutely pummel on Tyrants Of The Wasteland. There’s no bowing down to outside influences, as their Italian musical flair shines through via a barrage of intensity and musicality. Probably the most aptly titled song on “Ain’t War Hell? is it’s third track Barbaric Violence. It describes the band’s sound perfectly and while it will never be as heavy or as bestial as black-thrash, it isn’t trying to be. Cruentator is happy to lay waste with something more teutonic and at times, melodic. They also manage to pump a lot of music into their songs, in spite of them only averaging about four-and-a-half minutes a piece (roughly, as my maths is crap). Evil Is Prowling Around drags you towards the album’s midway point in ridiculous fashion. 

It’s latter half isn’t any more laid back as The Nightstalker flings itself at you with guitar work that sounds like a Howitzer gun with Mille Petrozza at the helm. It’s ace is what I’m trying to say! Keeping up the war theme, Marching Into A Minefield takes their teutonic thrash influences even further with a song that’s inspired by war itself. The riff that opens penultimate track The Shining Hate is simple yet gloriously catchy and it sums up the pleasure you get from listening to Cruentator. They’ve clearly been devoted disciples to thrash metal over the years and while they may not be reinventing the wheel with their debut album, that doesn’t matter one jot. It’s a proper thrash metal album done extremely well, especially considering it’s their first. Closing number Cluster Terror is a great way to end the album, as it’s filled with the urgency to match it’s shorter playing time. It’s with that punchiness that Cruentator finish etching their way into your brain. As I mentioned earlier in this paragraph, this is a really well put together album from a band that are enjoying their music. Thrash is fun and Cruentator don’t need to be anything else. 

You can stream "Ain't War Hell?" and purchase it digitally below:-

Cruentator - https://www.facebook.com/Cruentator/

CD copies can be purchased from Xtreem Music here - http://www.xtreemmusic.com/shop/

Xtreem Music - https://www.facebook.com/xtreemmusic666/