Trevor Strnad – Vocals
Ryan Knight – Guitar
Brian Eschbach – Guitar
Ryan Williams – Bass
Shannon Lucas – Drums
Mark Lewis – Producer
It has been 10 years since the formation of Detroit’s The Black Dahlia Murder(and 8 since the release of their first full length album) during which they released 2 demos and 4 albums. During this time they have seen highs(spot on Ozzfest, Billboard appearances for their last 3 cds) and lows(frequent replacements in the band especially at Bass and Drums) but that has yet to stop them as they forge on and try to cement their spot in Death Metal.
When it comes to the fifth album a lot of times bands in Metal(especially Death Metal) start to become stale and release albums that sound increasing like the album before it at best and at worst take a stunning fall in quality. And while their last album Deflorate was a really good album it didn’t exactly help in terms of showing any change in the band other than line-up. This in turn made Ritual an important album for the band as it would either make the band set the bar for themselves and the genre or it would continue the downward spiral most bands take at this point in their career.
After listening to Ritual I think it is safe to say Melodic Death Metal just had the bar raised yet again. Guitarist Ryan Knight(who joined the band right before the recording of Deflorate) makes a huge impact on this record in terms of song writing. This is also a very experimental record for the band which includes using strings to intro the first track of the album titled “A Shrine to Madness”. Now while they try to experiment with new elements they do not lose any of their strengths in the process(which is usually the case when the word “experimental” is thrown around)
The next track “Moonlight Equilibrium” is the sound of TBDM that you have come to know and love(if you are in fact a fan) showcasing Trevor Strnad’s excellent low Death Metal growl and his high pitch scream that has made his voice become frequently copied in the extreme metal scene and the great technical guitar work of Ryan Knight(formerly of Arsis). This creates a new dynamic for all the songs which helps to freshen a band up.
“Carbonized in Cruciform” is another standout track that is 30 seconds of piano and acoustic guitar work sandwiching 4 minutes of sheer brutality that TBDM is great at delivering with one of the most technically sound solos you will hear on record by Ryan Knight. Right after this is “Den of the Picquerist” that is an unrelenting 90 second punk tinged assault that showcases the ability of bassist Ryan Williams and drummer Shannon Lucas(formerly of All That Remains) best.
The final track of the cd titled “Blood in the Ink” is probably the most captivating of the record. It is an expansive track that takes the strings from the opening track and takes a deeper turn in this song helping to give it an orchestral texture that combined with the band’s sound makes it as beautiful as it is brutal and as harmonic as it is pulverizing.
Overall this is 12 tracks of absolutely no filler. If you are into this genre of music this will end up being put up there with albums like At The Gates’ “Slaughter of the Soul” and Carcass’ “Heartwork”. They do what very few bands have done in topping their previous album while at the same time setting the bar really high in their genre which is I am glad about due to the flack the band gets from some Death Metal fans due to utterly stupid factors like how they dress and the patterns on their merchandise. Hopefully this album gives this band the credit they have been fully due since the 2003 release of Unhallowed.
I will rate this album 5 out of 5 based on technical proficiency, Strnad’s vocals, and the fact that the experiments they do in this album work wonderfully with their sound.
Written By: Mike Falcone
Twitter: @BrainstuFalcone
