Release date: Out Now
Label: Metalville
Genre: Speed \ Thrash Metal
Band members:-
- Ricky Wagner – Guitars, Vocals and Organ
- Bastian Santen – Drums, Backing Vocals
- Bjarne Otto – Bass, Vocals
- Heike Musolf – Guitars, Backing Vocals
Tracklisting :-
- Behind Glass
- Treadmill To Hell
- Deal With It!
- No Plan B
- Thunder Raiders
- Alone
- Chaos In My Mind
- MDPV
- Dead Or White
- Spiral Down
- Pile Of Shards
Now in their 16th year, Rezet are a German speed and thrash metal band hailing from Schleswig Holstein and Deal With It! is their 4th full album release, after numerous demos and EPs.
‘Have Gun Will Travel’ (2010), ‘Civic Nightmares’ (2012) and ‘Reality Is A Lie’ (2016) being the previous album releases. The early metal influences are apparent from the Big 4 (Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax), but Rezet have found their own sound which occupies a place that acknowledges their forebears but with their own touches to make a quite stunning album. You could also include moments from Overkill, Exodus and Annihilator as well just for good measure. But when you mix a pot with all the vital ingredients that we love about thrash metal, then the final dish served up will only be amazing!
‘Behind Glass’ kicks off the album with a melodic acoustic guitar intro, which sees us nicely into the second track ‘Treadmill To Hell’. Immediately leaping into life with a speedy riff that really explodes on the palette to any discerning metal fan. The guitar interplay throughout is a testament to the talents of Ricky and Heike. And the drumming is perfectly in keeping with the speed/thrash metal tune as it needs to be.
Title track ‘Deal With It!’ nods very heavily to Megadeth but is an absolutely smashing song in its own right. Right from the Ellefson sound of the bass, the vocals on this occasion could either be early Belladonna, Hetfield or Mustaine, and equally, the guitars have so many classic thrash riffs and runs that this rightly will be an anthem for the live arena.
‘No Plan B’ crashes into your eardrums like ‘Hit The Lights’ did for Metallica. But with Rezet their sound gives more depth and it has a much better production to ensure that this thrashy tune really gallops along. Certainly, the backing vocals support Ricky Wagners’ efforts and at times the drumming is quite incredible with varied tempos and plenty of blasting. By this point, you should have grasped that Rezet take no prisoners and are willing to adapt to their own brand of metal. Still punishing and still energetic. Headbangers will delight!
‘Thunder Raiders’ gives us another nice nod to the early roots of thrash. As mentioned above, the influences pervade throughout but Rezet really give this their own stamp and produce a song about rising up against the powers that be to start a revolution.
‘Alone’ is a mid-paced song that gives us a little break from the first few songs of aural obliteration. This being their closest to a ballad and emotive guitars with a thoughtful solo.
‘Chaos In My Mind’ then gives us a return to the thrash riffs from earlier in the album. The vocal close to emulating Mustaine but I believe Ricky Wagner has a better range when singing. The solo being at points, impossibly fast. The riffing and structure of the song leaping time signatures just for fun.
‘MDPV’ kicks off with a raucous and speedy riff as Wagner sings about the perils of the cyclical life of feeding a drug habit.
‘Dead Or White’ could almost be a Rammstein tune if they sung in English! Although this tune is a great statement against fascism. It gives Rezet a chance to explore a different sound again, and as such, whilst you would normally pigeonhole this type of band, this shows that Rezet are not a one-trick pony. ‘Spiral Down’ gives us another thrashy, monster of a tune about a life of depression. The guitars on show are simple superb, from the riffing to the solos, everything just seems to work well for this sound. The rhythm section, rumbling away in the background plays a perfect foil and this is another song that perfectly displays why metal fans should take notice of Rezet.
‘Pile Of Shards’ closes out the album with the same acoustic riff but then continues as metal instrumental that is as important as Orion was to Metallica. A great chance for these boys to show their stunning musicianship.
The trick to creating new music is make sure that you can find a way to discover something that no one has done before, or do it better than them. Rezet have made a quite fantastic album here that offers so much on many levels. There is an originality to their sound whilst also nodding heavily to the bands that made them follow thrash metal music in the first place. The production is superb and everything that should be heard is being heard well. The drum sound is on point and the pulsating rhythms will definitely inject energy into the crowd for their inevitable crushing live performances.
SCORE: 9 out of 10
Reviewer: Stefan Putwain
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