Band: Extreme Noise Terror
Title: Law Of Retaliation
Label: Osmose Productions
Distribution: Rough Trade
Release date: December 2008
Review: CD

I’d like to start with my appreciation for the underestimated French label Osmose. Since the early years of ‘extreme Metal’, this label has been there to support and promote the scene as much as possible (with bands as, for example, Impaled Nazarene, Marduk, Immortal and Necromantia on their rooster back then). The goal has never been to become the number-one Metal-label, because commerciality and easy-listening stuff have never been the ultimate aim to Osmose. And even though it has been pretty silent for a while at the Osmose-office, this label still succeeds to release harsh, merciless and brutal-to-the-core material. One of the newest efforts is Law Of Retaliation, the newest, long-awaited full length by Extreme Noise Terror.
E.N.T. were formed more than twenty years ago (in 1985, to be more specific) and like many colleagues from the U.K., the moniker ‘old skool’ is of main importance. Throughout the years, E.N.T. didn’t really ‘evolve’ (read: staying true to their roots ???), yet it might be clear that the modest evolution has to do with a more professional approach. And of course, the Death Metal influences have increased, while the Punk / Crust-ones did not.
However, Law Of Retaliation goes back to the roots again, at least for a part. This first full length studio release since seven years (in mean time, the band did release some splits, a compilation, a live-album and a 7”EP) lasts for 36:40 minutes and consists of nineteen titles. As we’re used to, the lyrics deal with political and soci(ologic)al issues and the necessary criticism when it comes to those subjects. Some titles to say it all: Religion Is Fear, Human Waste, Nothing No More, Blind Lead The Blind amongst others.
Musically, the symbiosis of Death / Grind and Crust / Punk comes in a perfect equilibrium, and through the strong compositions, this mixture makes this album available for both scenes (Grind / Metal-scene at one hand, and the Hardcore / Punk-scene at the other). Several samples (especially movie-excerpts) do polish the earthly criticism, even though it isn’t always that clear why certain samples have been used. Whatsoever, this is a ‘Napalm Death-meets-Discharge’ creation, so this might interest you???

75/100

Ivan Tibos.