The Japanese word RETSU means “Violent” or “Furious,” which is a fitting name for this new UK-based band specializing in skull-cracking punk. On their recently released self-titled LP, RETSU cranks out nine tracks that mostly take influence from heavyweights of the genre like DISCHARGE and RUDIMENTARY PENI while including some nice goth/death rock elements; I’ve seen some comparisons to KILLING JOKE floating around, which is spot on. This is heard most heavily on the moody intros of “Rejects of Society” and “NSBS,” both of which give a dark and evil vibe before leading into killer d-beat fury. This is such a well-crafted and straightforward record that sounds great thanks to stellar production. The snares snap hard (checkout the blast-beat frenzy at the end of “No Room For The Dead”), the guitar is heavy (I love the riffing on “Worked To Death”), and the vocals are perfectly mixed to deliver maximum impact. This should come as no surprise as RETSU has quite the pedigree, featuring members of THE MASOCHISTS and DOOM amongst others, and that experience shows here big time. If you want a solid slab of d-beat on the heavier side check this shit out, available to stream on the band’s Bandcamp and in physical format through 783 Punx.
