Ripper are a death/thrash metal band from Chile and this is their third album.
If you’re a fan of death/thrash along the lines of early Kreator and Sepultura, then the appropriately named Ripper have a treat for you. Towards Rebirth contains 42 minutes of vicious thrashing intensity, and is pretty much guaranteed to give fans of the style a damn good time.
Towards Rebirth offers up a feast of nasty riffs and brutal aggression. Ripper blend just the right amount of death metal into their thrash, (or just the right amount of thrash into their death metal, depending on how you look at it), ensuring that the songs benefit from both parent styles. It’s a greater-than-the-sum-of-its-parts approach to songwriting, and it works nicely.
The songs are packed with riffs and there’s barely any breathing room as the band thrash and crush like maniacs. It’s not aimless fun though, (but it is still fun), as there are actual songs here beneath Ripper’s assault. Ripper have studied the 80s and 90s well, and know the value of a killer hook. The structuring of the songs has been thought about, and the capable production values allow them to burst with violent energy. The leads and solos add vital bloodthirsty colour to the music, blazing with fire and molten fury as the rest of the music underpins with merciless efficiency.
There’s no filler here. Of the ten tracks, two are outliers of sorts – opener The Secular Awakening is a dungeon synth-style intro that’s out of place, yet somehow wonderful, and The Secret Dawn is the album’s longest track and an instrumental workout that lets the band really cut loose with their abilities. It’s somewhat of a furious highlight, in fact.
Overall, Towards Rebirth is a strong, enjoyable, and engaging record. Ripper’s violent brand of extreme metal is well-rounded and satisfying.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 