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Retaliatory Strike is pure old-school speed/thrash, though back when it was released in 1988, it was just called speed metal or thrash. I think these guys really liked Razor and I wouldn't be surprised if they had started by playing Razor covers. If you slapped "Razor" on the cover, I'd believe it's one of their albums since At War are very similar in sound and style to the Canadian thrash legends. Clean sound, precise, razor-sharp (pun partly intended) guitars, pounding drums and that very distinct vocal style are all lifted right off the Razor book. To add a little spice to the mix, there's a bit of that early punk-ish Voivod creeping in here and there. Retaliatory Strike is not as memorable nor as fine-tuned as Razor's best albums, but it's also somewhat better than their later offerings. If you've been wanting to hear some new Razor and don't feel like waiting anymore and have never heard this band, At War may not be the real deal but they're close enough to provide some entertainment.