Fatal Retribution

Riptide's main talking point has always been the scale of their music and their impressive ambitious nature as a band. With this in mind, Fatal Retribution probably stands as Riptide's best song to date, with its amazing progression and even larger variety in dynamics and texture than the band's previous output. Opening with an exceptional clean intro that sounds dark and brooding but also epic, before transitioning into the meat of the song, which boats surprisingly detailed guitar work. The riffs are stellar, with an emphasis on the lead guitar that is vital to the changing tonality often within the song. Apart from that, the technicality has been taken up a notch with Fatal Retribution, showing prowess not just in the songwriting but also the individual sections and how they contribute to the track as a whole.

Another highlight of this single is how the instruments intertwine with the vocals for a particular effective hook with memorable delivery, such as the layering during the line "no chance to defend" which makes the song much more memorable, and resembles Riptide's newfound formula of utilising a massive hook that the music revolves around. With a sinister tone and more creative way of producing riffs, Fatal Retribution's great cohesion between each member also coincides with its improved musicality. Of course, there is a huge instrumental section that probably represents the band in their prime, with more incredible lead guitars and a slower section with elaborate drumming that leads to a repeat of the chorus. While still very formulaic, Fatal Retribution shows variety in a different sense, with more fleshed out sections that bring more interesting character to the music.