Sometimes, straightforward is the best path one can take. It’s always tempting to try and bring something new to the table in such a form that feels fresh and invigorating, but there’s just simply nothing that can beat a performance that is all muscle and no fat whatsoever to the point that its efficiency is downright deadly, its intent is always clear, and the whole of the work is undeniable from top to bottom. For many reasons, that’s what has kept many corners of death metal going for so long with there always new talent coming about to prove that fact. With their debut effort, Retching shows us how it’s done without wasting so much as a second.

While it’s understandable to see any given band take at least a little while before really homing in on what exact sound they want to go for, it’s every now and then that we get a performance from an act that was made with calculated movements, a deep understanding of the genre at hand, and the talent to bring it all about in a creation that’s as captivating as it is satisfying. Retching had much to prove with their debut effort of “Charming the Decomposed”, and it should go without saying that these eight tracks accomplished that and more in a way that’s nigh on compelling. Undeniable in its voracious nastiness and caustic songwriting that offers as much demented rhythm as it does grotesque visions of undeath, this is a tantalizing 32-minute slab of writhing unholiness that holds nothing back in any regard in terms of theme, approach, influence, and vision. Retching treads much of the same territory that countless others before them have walked before with results varying from one performance to the next, yet it’s clear in every given instance of “Charming the Decomposed” that was determined to not suffer a tragic fate with an uninspired performance with the winding and intoxicating notes of this record working overtime to pull you ever further into the meat grinder that Retching holds complete dominion over. Not so much as one pathetic life spared nor is anyone free from its overarching menace; “Charming the Decomposed” is aural homicide made manifest.

The simple reality of this being Retching’s debut showcases what kind of band we’re already dealing with here. Can the awfully unfortunate happen and Retching drop the ball? Of course, but given what we have to see throughout the absolute entirety of this abominable work of unrelenting death metal then I cannot help but have the gut feeling that Retching is a name we’re going to keep seeing more of in the future with the name sure to become synonymous with undeniable quality. For all that was summoned within the scream-infested halls of “Charming the Decomposed”, it’s clear that Retching has not revealed all of their nefarious machinations to us as of yet. Torture, like pleasure, is best dealt out slowly and methodically no matter how passionate and strong it may come to be.

“Charming the Decomposed” releases on August 22nd via Transcending Obscurity Records!

LISTEN to advanced tracks from “Charming the Decomposed” on Bandcamp here.

FOLLOW Retching on Instagram here.