RITUAL

Ritual´s debut album is a really excellent album. First of all I would like to point out that Ritual have that special Swedish thing for melodies. Their music is just so beautifully melodic and memorable even though it is pretty intricate. I´ve heard about Ritual before but always assumed they were a metal band with that name and never gave them a chance. But then I bought Kaipa´s comeback album Notes From the Past and saw that Patrik Lundstrom who sings lead vocals on that album, were credited as a member of Ritual. It´s not that I´m a big fan of Kaipa really, but as the all consuming prog head I am I decided to give Ritual a chance. This has been a good decision as I think Ritual is much better than Kaipa.

The music is pretty hard to describe as there are elements of many different things on the album. But symphonic folk inspired prog rock wouldn´t be far from the truth. Some songs rock a bit more than others and some have a more folky touch, but there are always surprises and little instrumental parts to keep the songs exciting. Patrik Lundstrom has a very special voice and it is surely an aquired taste. Most of the time I like it, but it can be a bit too much when listening to the whole album from start to end.

The musicians are really fantastic in my ears. They master a variety of musical genres and mix them to great effect.

The production is excellent. Typical Swedish sounding and very clear and full.

This is such a good album and it deserves 4 stars, because of the high level in composition and musical skill. I think Ritual is a very original band and deserves praise for that.