Release Date July 17th, 2026
Format CD/Digital/Vinyl
Genre Power Metal
Origin U.S.A.
Ruthless emerged in Los Angeles in 1982, founded by vocalist Sammy DeJohn and guitarist Ken McGee at a time when the city’s metal underground was moving in several directions at once. The 1984 EP “Metal Without Mercy” introduced an American heavy metal attack built on hard riffing, high vocals and darker themes, followed by the band’s first full length two years later. Ruthless split near the end of the decade, then returned after an invitation to Germany’s Keep It True festival.
The reunion became permanent, producing “They Rise” in 2015, “Evil Within” in 2019 and “The Fallen” in 2024. DeJohn now fronts a lineup completed by guitarists Glen Paul and David Servantez, bassist Sandy K. Vasquez and drummer Joseph Aghassi. The current formation treats Ruthless as a working band, with regular studio activity and European dates.
“Curse Of The Beast” follows “The Fallen” after two and a half years, and its twelve songs fill about 51 minutes. Ron Sandoval oversaw production, recording, mixing and mastering. His mix is broad and physical: guitars sit forward with a dry edge, bass reinforces the lower register, drums strike firmly, and DeJohn remains above the instruments without swallowing them. His weathered voice is an asset, especially when he rises from a gravelly midrange into piercing higher notes. A few peaks scrape against pitch, though the character matters more than precision here. The riffs use brisk gallops, broad chords and twin guitar exchanges.
The rhythms move between fast charges and deliberate stomps. Most choruses have immediate shape and melodic contour, although a few cadences can be predicted before they arrive. Lyrics deal in werewolf transformation, bloodlust, ancient combat, religious dread, fate and present social fracture. They are blunt, sometimes nearly primitive, which works when matched to a riff, less so when “Raging Violence” reduces a complex crisis to alarmist lines. Across the album, longer songs justify their duration with tempo turns, guitar harmonies and chorus returns. The shorter material gets to the point quickly. This balance prevents the running time from sagging.
The closing cover of “Metal Gods” is competent and respectful; it remains too close to the original and ends the album with borrowed thunder. That is the lone decision that genuinely weakens the set. The original material has firm construction, distinct refrains and guitar work that resist excess. Traditional heavy metal this rigid can become stale; “Curse Of The Beast” does not. It has aggression, melody, ominous atmosphere and enough variation to remain engaging across the full run. Ruthless is working at a high standard here, and the result is a potent addition to the band’s later discography.
|8.3
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