Four albums deep into a promising and increasingly impressive career, California’s death mongers Ripped to Shreds continue to hammer away and chisel a jagged path to the hearts of old-school death-loving folk. Following back-to-back bangers, the band’s prolific mastermind and guitarist/vocalist Andrew Lee (also of Azath, Houkago Grind Time, Draghkar amongst a plethora of other projects) readies his battle-hardened companions for another sick, ugly dose of grind-injected old school death mayhem. Quality writing and a deft hand at intertwining classic influences with an unvarnished modern twist, has trademarked an engaging, consistent body of work. Lee lives and breathes the musty airwaves of death metal’s storied, murky past, but composes and plays this shit better than most. Can the fourth album Sanshi capitalize and expand upon the sturdy groundwork and scene cred the Ripped to Shreds brand has so far established?
Despite the occasional proggy foray, this latest platter of crusty nastiness, breakneck speed, and gnarled hooks finds Ripped to Shreds refining a formula that seeks the advancement of their signature style, without muddying the waters with bold attempts at innovation. Few modern acts nail the retro aesthetic and rancid, fleshy appeal as well as Ripped to Shreds without leaning too heavily into derivation or tired recycling of old ideas. Ripped to Shreds sounds invigorated and full of punky, gritty aggression and songwriting flair. The roots of the Ripped to Shreds sound feature the classic vibes of the buzzsawing Stockholm and swampy Floridan scenes of yesteryear. Throw in a healthy dose of early Pestilence and vintage grindcore influences, think prime Terrorizer, and some flashy melodic shreddery, and you have a recipe for awesomeness.
Overall, the grind influence is more pronounced, unloading some of the band’s nastiest work to date, balanced by the increasingly noteworthy use of extravagant melodic solos and leads. The tradeoff vocals from Lee and the backing efforts of his bandmates work a treat, blending nasty guttural grunts and higher-pitched explosions with anguished van Drunen-isms and all manner of rip-roaring variations. Sanshi opens ambitiously, launching a six-plus minute juggernaut courtesy of the multi-pronged “Into the Court of Yanluowang.” Length isn’t an issue due to the propulsive energy, structural shifts, and an action-packed blend of death, grind, and thrashy melodeath influences, touching on some Horrendous vibes. The punky grind meets the thrashing death punch of “燒冥紙 (Sacrificial Fire)” jams swaggering grooves and melodic guitar embellishments into a violent tornado. Ripped to Shreds balances its crisper melodic tendencies and production values expertly with its feral, abrasive instincts. Balance is the key to much of Sanshi’s success. The album’s varied songwriting palette is showcased through blunt force grooves colliding with riff-driven thrashy death (“冥婚 Corpse Betrothal”), compact, blazing deathgrind numbers (“Force Fed,” “Perverting the Funeral Rites, Stripping for the Dead”), and brutish beatdowns punctuated with heroic shredding solos (“殭屍復活 [Horrendous Corpse Resurrection],” “Cultivating Towards Ascension”).
Lee’s skills as a composing architect, accomplished axe-slinger and chief vocalist are well established, however, there is an argument Lee is really coming into his own with a fully-fledged line-up of like-minded souls. The whole band fires on all cylinders, the material fueled by ripping tempos, technical precision, and gritty, yet undoubtedly infectious songwriting. Brian Do’s sick, blasty drum performance is worth noting, while the addition of second guitarist Michael Chavez proves a masterstroke, adding firepower, showmanship, and a potent dual axe dynamic to the formula, emphasized through the string of stunning solos and memorable riffs, touching on thrash, death, melodeath, and grind influences. I could use a little more fuzz and grime to the guitar tone, and the bass drums are a little clicky, otherwise, the production adds sharp edges and crisp punchy tones to compliment the album’s rawer charms.
Ripped to Shreds remain as consistently solid as ever with this latest opus. Sanshi takes the ingredients that have worked so effectively for Ripped to Shreds thus far and ups the ante to reveal some of their most potent, impressive work to date. Lee’s songwriting skills are reaching increasingly esteemed heights and the expertise in which the band wield speed, melody, abrasiveness, chugging grooves, and catchy writing is top-shelf. Every Ripped to Shreds album has delivered quality, teetering on the precipice of greatness. Sanshi keeps the consistent trend going, though takes it up a notch and showcases the Ripped to Shreds juggernaut operating in peak form.
Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: N/A | Format Reviewed: Stinky Stream
Label: Relapse Records
Websites: rippedtoshredsdeathmetal.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/rippedtoshredsband
Releases Worldwide: September 27th, 2024
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