Review by Ben for Malevolent Creation - Retribution (1992)

It's fascinating how many bands start their existence on fire, and then can never manage to match that sort of performance from that point onwards. Malevolent Creation released two great albums back in the early 90s, with their debut The Ten Commandments and this follow-up both being quality examples of exciting, well produced death metal. Eight albums later and while they've remained reasonably solid, they've never hit these heights ever again.

While Retribution doesn't differ all that much from the debut, it's just good, well executed Floridian death metal, with excellent riffs, kick ass drumming and some truly awesome vocals. Brett Hoffman has one of the best growls in the business and this album is his finest achievement. Slaughter of Innocence is one the bands greatest ever tracks and Eve of the Apocalypse and Systematic Execution are right up there also.

Yet even though I obviously enjoy this a fair bit, I still can’t give Retribution any more than 4 stars. It doesn’t really offer anything that heaps of other bands haven’t already put out over the years. But what it does, it does well, and with a large dose of passion. Not surprisingly, considering the amount of work he did back in the early 90s for extreme metal, Dan Seagrave created the monstrous atrocity adorning the album cover.