As reviewers, we sift through album after album hoping to find that hidden gem – that obscure band we can share with the world. You know, that next big thing. You hear about this band or that band and how they’ve played a certain festival or were on a certain tour and you are left to wonder, “yeah, but are they any good?” Well, after many inquires, I was led to Hamburg’s very own The Retaliation Process and their debut titled Downfall. But after so many spins, did I find a keeper or an album that’s destined to find itself in the bottom of a dusty box in the attic?

Downfall‘s introduction comes in the form of the brutish and face pounding “Uprising.” After a barrage of double bass and lacerating guitars, you are greeted with massive walls of pounding grooves and raw, gritty vocals. The Retaliation Process has a sound that is seeded from bands like Chimaira, DogFacedGods, Heaven Shall Burn (Antigone-era) and even newer Daath. A fan of any of those bands knows that precision is key, in both musicianship and production. Recorded in Eikey Studio with producer/Dark Age guitarist Eike Freese, Downfall has a nice clear sound (even with the few mic pops I heard) that features just enough rough edges to still feel somewhat under produced. In terms of musicianship, The Retaliation Process are top notch in every way possible. Musically, the band is a well oiled machine that should only grow and get tighter as time goes on. Vocalist Christoph Madarasz does a well enough job as the frontman, but at times I found his voice a little too throaty for my taste. I think that if he were to scream more from his diaphragm rather than his throat, he would really open up his voice and allow for much more power.

“Four Seasons Of Self Mutilation” and “Bridge End…” are our first introductions to Madarasz’s clean vocal, or lack thereof. Like I said previously, the band is extremely tight and feature some seriously backbreaking backdrops that even the largest of bands can’t produce these days. Guitarists Jury Kowalczyk and Sascha Maskow’s razor sharp riffs are accompanied by Andre Kummer’s pinpoint drumming and bassist Michael Konecny’s booming low-end. With the incredible amount of melody that these guys interject into their music, Madarasz finds himself in quite a conundrum at times. There are portions of tracks where he is forced into “singing” and honestly, it’s not very good. Segments of both incorporate clean vocals that are monotone, lifeless and have little-to-no inflection whatsoever. “Bridge End…” is the better song of the two just because the clean singing is cut down tremendously, allowing him to concentrate more on heavier screams. His singing is better suited in much smaller doses. Side note: there is a groove in this track that is beyond belief and definitely making it a must listen.

One perfect example of Madarasz’s vocal shortcomings comes on the track titled “On The Way Back.” After a gloomy intro that is filled with clean guitars and samples of pounding rain and thunder, the band kicks in and sounds fantastic…until, you guessed it, he starts singing. The Retaliation Process really shine as the band serve up a heaping helping of darkness and despair, while Christoph’s Steev Esquivel (Skinlab) style singing during the verses tend to drag the song to a near crawl. This track is a perfect example of how a handcuffed frontman can hinder a band’s songwriting, and possibly their overall success.

After the beautifully majestic instrumental “…Prozac”, your ears again are pulverized with tracks like “Down” and “Written In Red Ink.” “Down” features more bouncing grooves, metalcore-style breakdowns and big melodies. “Written In Red Ink” is a maniacal, brain twisting terrorizer from beginning to end. Kummer’s skins work is nothing short of amazing as he tethers Kowalczyk and Maskow’s amazing axe shredding skills. This is one song (of many) that truly slices and dices.

Overall, Downfall is a solid, yet unrefined debut from The Retaliation Process. As I mentioned before, musically, these guys are primed and ready to explode; but vocally, they aren’t quite there yet. But, with that being said, I believe that with a little time and a few tweaks, these Germans will be well on their way to conquering anything that dare steps in their way.

3.5/5