Violator - Unholy Retribution ★★★★☆

19 times. That's how many times Last.FM told me I've listened through this album before jotting down few words here for your thrashin' benefit.

SEPTEMBER 2025 

BLACKENED THRASH METAL

FOR FANS OF: POSSESSED, MORBID SAINT, EXODUS, SLAYER

        THRASH-O-METER        

★★★★★★★☆☆☆ SONGWRITING

★★★★★★★★☆☆ LONGEVITY

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ THEMES

★★★★★☆☆☆☆☆ PRODUCTION

★★★★★★★☆☆☆ MUSICIANSHIP

★★★★★★★★☆☆ CHARACTER

★★★★★★★★★☆ THRASHABILITY

                SCORE:                   

★★★★☆ BADASS SH!T

Violator channels pure, unadulterated thrash energy that New Wave of Thrash Metal sorely lacked due to their siesta, and more or less died without. Now, after 10 years, these Brazilian fellas hit you with one helluva comeback album!

Hang the Merchants of Illusion sets the tone hard and fast - with a message to boot: you’re in thrash country. The relentless buzzsaw shifts gears just as you dream of catching your breath. Violator isn't just ripping like in the old times - they're plain exuviating, with a new kind of intent.

Back at it!

New kind of staying power

2013s 'Scenarios of Brutality hit squarely for fans of Mortal Sin, Vio-Lence, and early Sepultura even. Fast forward to 2026, and Violator have stepped a lot closer to one of my all-time favourites: Possessed.

The guitars now scream with a darker, more sinister edge, drums pummel like the punishment heralding the end times, and the compositions seethe thoroughly surprising malice. The vocals, while perfectly serviceable, unfortunately lag behind like a busted gear in an otherwise roaring engine - for good or bad, fading into the mix like smoke on the horizon.

More than a full circle

The societal critique isn't exactly a new thing in thrash metal but when sh!t works, it works. Persecution Personality tackles topic of haves and have nots, while Destroy the Altar seeks top topple that whats rammed into our throats by powers that be.

Vengeance Storm closes the album with the kind of final blow that any band would be proud of. It’s the longest cut here, and mayhap the most elaborate showcase of their new muscle - risking the unholy borderlands of black metal. Tremolo-picked riffs slice through the chaos and venomous melodies twist the knife deeper, leaving you bleeding out as a glorious happy mess.

Unless you’ve been living in a barrel, you know Latin America’s thrash scene is exploding - or, has been, for the past five years. Bands like Mayhemic are pushing beyond the old formulas, flirting hard with extreme metal, and finding new kinds of audiences in the kids of today. Regardless of the evolution, Violator sticks much closer to the wellspring of thrash metal - but writing this off as another 80s nostalgia trip would be a serious mistake. Violator friggin’ slaps!

While I’ve always had a soft spot for the fellas, it’s with 'Unholy Retribution' that they finally elbow their way onto the top shelf. The band sounds sharper and overwhelmingly more evilous - and ironically, more mature. It’s a strange kind of evolution: they’ve grown up only to become more violent. Much like the fermentation Possessed went through to end up with their 2019 comeback 'Revelations of Oblivion', Violator’s return is, in a word, outstanding.

Songs to check:

1. Hand the Merchants of Illusion

5. The Evil Order

8. Vengeance Storm