ALBUM REVIEW: 亂 (Luan) – Ripped To Shreds

RIPPED TO SHREDS are back. The solo project of Andrew Lee, based in California-via-Taiwan have garner a fair bit of interest in recent years – partially due to the unique set up of the band, partially, and more importantly, due to Lee‘s brand of utterly savage death metal. Conceptually centred on Far-Eastern culture, history and folklore, Lee‘s project really hit its stride with the release of 2019’s 魔經 – Demon Scriptures. Less than a full year later, RIPPED TO SHREDS return with their second full-length album, 亂 (Luan). Is this where Lee establishes his solo-project as one of the front-runners in the burgeoning old-school death metal revival?

From the first listen of 亂 (Luan), its hard not to have a sense of frustration. There are moments here that are truly brilliant, standing as some of the most interesting death metal released so far this year. But these moments are juxtaposed by blasts of intense mediocrity. Neither the Intro nor the Interlude stick around long enough to really develop into interesting pieces, both feeling like they are there just for the sake of adding an extra minute to the run time. Further, the majority of the first half of 亂 (Luan) is largely filler – Righteous Fist to the Teeth of the Wicked is a decent blast of grinding death metal, but hardly memorable; 白骨精 (White Bone Spirit) has a brilliant, tortured opening, and while it is the strongest track on Side A repetitive riffing mires the solo work and memorability; and Eight Immortals Feast, though an solid change of pace with a doomier tone, fails to do anything really interesting.

It’s not until Throes of a Dying Age that RIPPED TO SHREDS really treat the listener to the quality that was shown on last year’s 魔經 – Demon Scriptures. Grandiose atmosphere, haunting grooves and bursts of well-written aggression show that, despite a shaky start, 亂 (Luan) is still worth your time. Though the Interlude manages to derail the momentum Throes of a Dying Age brought, Opening Salvo is just that, bringing Side B into full swing with a barrage of unrestrained brutality and bursts of incredible solo work. This is how RIPPED TO SHREDS should be sounding.

The huge jump in quality from Side A to Side B of 亂 (Luan) is baffling – and frustrating. It’s clear from the latter half of the record that RIPPED TO SHREDS haven’t lost the mojo that made their earlier work so great, so why was the first half so forgettable? And why is there such an intense difference in quality between the two halves? Was this meant to be two EPs that were just tacked together? Who’s to say. But 黑木崖 – 日月神教第二節 (Massacre at Blackwood Cliff – Sun Moon Holy Cult Part 2) keeps that high quality rolling, and then some. A clear highlight from the entirety of the record, it follows on very nicely from 日月神教第一節 (Sun Moon Holy Cult Part 1), on 魔經 – Demon Scriptures. The eponymous Ripped to Shreds drives on in classic doomy, grindy, deathy fashion, while Remnants rounds off 亂 (Luan) on a brilliant high.

Unfortunately, 亂 (Luan) doesn’t live up to the brilliance standard of 魔經 – Demon Scriptures. Where last year’s EP used every second of its run time to cover a vast breadth of the death metal landscape, 亂 (Luan) is mired by unfocused composition and filler moments. When RIPPED TO SHREDS hit well, its a knock-out punch – but this isn’t the haymaker it promised to be. That said, however, there is still plenty of enjoyment to be had in the grinding barrage, and while the record doesn’t match its predecessor, it is far from a flop.

Rating: 6/10

亂 (Luan) is out now via Pulverised Records. 

Like RIPPED TO SHREDS on Facebook.