Ritual King - Ritual King

Ritual King - Ritual King

Ripple Music – 2020 (February 21st)

Stoner, Doom, Heavy Psych

Rated: ****

The ever-expanding UK Underground consistently unearths amazing talent, none more so than Manchester's Ritual King, who deliver their eponymous debut for Ripple Music next month. Seven titanic tracks of first-degree sensorial assault. "Valleys" opens the show with crunch, crush and charisma - seismic bass tones pinning currents of savage Stoner riffery with clean, clear vocals soaring like a hunting Kestrel. The Jazz-infused beats of "No Compromise" suddenly give way to Doomy smatterings of harsh abrasive riffs, pierced by sweet guitar noodles. "Headspace" slows into a melting-pot of licks and lysergic atmospheres, layered vocals harmonizing with themselves and the surging riffs beneath. The riffs come back full-force with "602", a pelting rock-out instrumental showcasing the tightness and invention of the band. The crawling Doom motif resurfaces on "Dead Roads", blending Stoner sonics and punitive percussion into a psychic stew of sounds. This formula continues unabated with "Restrain" ..an aptly-titled reign-back of stunted riffs, hard breaks and harder shoulders bearing the bulbous weight. Closer "Black Hills" turns through chugging riffs and flat-four tempo, a Desert Rocker of searing, white-hot glow and groove. Ritual King delivers breadth, width and height: the full dimensions of Modern Underground Metal in all it's geometric gelignite.

(Written by Reek of STOOM)

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