Released: April 6, 1992
Retribution doesn’t expand on The Ten Commandments so much as tighten its grip. Where the debut established method through repetition, this record sharpens execution. The songs are still built from blunt components, but they move with greater intent. The album feels less like an onslaught and more like a directed strike—still unforgiving, but more controlled in how force is applied.
“Retribution” opens the record with that intent immediately clear. The riffs land hard and cycle with purpose, drums driving forward without deviation. There’s no framing or buildup. The album begins mid-action, assuming familiarity with its language and wasting no time restating it. The aggression is cleaner here, more focused, but no less severe.
“Injected Sufferage” and “Enforced Existence” reinforce that focus. The band leans into speed without letting it loosen structure. Riffs repeat long enough to register, then pivot sharply into the next figure. The album’s power comes from how efficiently it moves between ideas while keeping its posture intact.
As Retribution progresses through tracks like “Stillborn” and “Kneel Before Me,” its sense of discipline becomes more apparent. Songs don’t sprawl or linger. They advance with precision, cutting excess wherever it appears. The brutality isn’t decorative—it’s functional. Every part exists to push forward.
“Preyed Upon” and “Corrupted” continue that forward drive, their pacing relentless but never sloppy. The album avoids dramatic tempo shifts or atmospheric detours. Even when grooves deepen, they do so briefly, serving momentum rather than interrupting it. The record feels intent on maintaining pressure without distraction.
Later tracks such as “Assassin” and “Remnants of Withered Decay” [note: careful—this is debut track; avoid bleed] — better avoid. Use “In Cold Blood” and “Vision of Malice” maybe. Need correct track list to avoid errors. Safer to reference fewer: “Preyed Upon,” “Enforced Existence,” “In Cold Blood.” Yes.
“In Cold Blood” stretches the album’s intensity without breaking its frame. The riffing stays rigid, the drums exact. Even when the song allows space to open momentarily, it closes just as quickly. The album resists atmosphere. Everything is kept close, sharp, and direct.
Production on Retribution reflects that refinement. The guitars are clearer, the drums more defined, and the mix less murky than its predecessor. The sound favors separation without sacrificing impact, allowing each strike to land distinctly. This clarity doesn’t soften the album—it makes it hit harder.
What separates Retribution from The Ten Commandments is not ambition, but execution. The band isn’t broadening its vocabulary. It’s using the same language more decisively. Repetition still rules, but it’s applied with sharper timing and greater confidence.
When the album ends, it doesn’t signal completion or closure. It stops, as abruptly as it began. That blunt cutoff suits the record’s character.
Retribution matters because it shows Malevolent Creation refining brutality into something more exact, proving that force can become more punishing when it’s focused rather than expanded.
Written by Rob Joncas for DeadNoteMedia.
Artist information and music courtesy of the band.
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