Ripped to Shreds – Sanshi (Review)

This is the fourth album from US death metallers Ripped to Shreds.

I thoroughly enjoyed 2022’s 劇變 (Jubian), so have been excited to listen to Sanshi. Containing 41 minutes of new material, Ripped to Shreds are on fire on their new record.

This is a hideous mix of bands such as Entombed, Dismember, Carcass, Exhumed, Bolt Thrower, Brutal Truth, and more, but with a well-formed personality of its own. Ripped to Shreds stand tall above most of the faceless grinding death metal hordes.

Sanshi rips and tears out of the speakers with a furious death metal assault, laced with grindcore violence. Bringing together elements of the old-school and the new into a blistering ball of crushing death metal heaviness, Ripped to Shreds seriously know how to play this stuff. Lethal riffs, (so many!), murderous drums, (organic and satisfying), raw vocals, (now shared between two members), and molten metal leads and solos, (more solos! Melodic fire!), make for music that really hits the spot.

Sanshi‘s death metal aggression is enhanced with grindcore intensity, thrash metal dynamics, and macabre atmosphere. This allows the band to range from harsh brutality to expansive worldbuilding, showcasing their mastery of both blunt force simplicity and intricate depth. This is apparent across the album, but opening cut Into the Court of Yanluowang – the longest song here – is a good microcosmic example of this breadth of delivery. All of the songs are well-crafted though and bring their own strengths to the table. Sanshi is a full album, and feels like it; each song is its own master, yet feeds effectively into the whole.

Ripped to Shreds know how to pen a good tune, and Sanshi is packed with satisfying death metal rippers. It boasts a lot of hooks, enriched by strong songwriting, balancing catchiness with a longer lasting appeal. It’s a very strong record, and I think the band’s best yet.

Essential listening for death metal fanatics everywhere.