RITUAL

This is a splendid album. I (personally) wouldn't even class it as Folk. To me its too full and rich to be so. Having said that, maybe the roots of Folk lie in foot-tapping rythyms, and there are plenty of those of show here.

The impressively boisterous 'Wingspread' sets the tone. Lively and fresh. It seems not to matter where a song starts musically, because a fresh rythym will ultimately drive it through to the end. If there is a weakness, then the music isn't particularly reflective. Then again, because of that it's bright and happy.

Track 8,' Seasong...' is a dud, but after that we have a fine finale. 'You can never tell' is another lively foot-tapper, and it heads into what is (almost) a Prog classic, 'Big black secret'. Punching bass, catchy drumming, forward synths and a 'metal' type of riff make this an powerhouse of Symphonic Prog.

'Power Place' enables us to catch our breath, no foot-tapping rythyms here. No, we're off to 'Yes' land. Maybe there was 'reflection' after all.

This really is a fine sounding album, and a breath of fresh air. Any one who wants a new type of 'Gentle Giant' needs look no further. The creativity is there, though the sound is more mainstream. Very enjoyable.

— First review of this album —

Prog fans lucky enough to attend the 6th annual Rites of Spring Festival outside of Philadelphia in May of 2008 enjoyed the privilege of seeing the US performance debut of Sweden's best-kept secret, and one of the rising stars in the European Neo-Prog community. Take it from someone who was there (and who had never heard of them beforehand): Ritual put on one heck of a show, arguably the best of a busy weekend.

But here at least is a taste of what you might have missed, albeit recorded two years earlier, while the band was on tour in Scandinavia: a double-disc capturing the energetic essence of a great live act. More than that, it also works as an effective sampler of the group's first three studio albums, functioning not unlike a live 'best of' summary of their career thus far.

It's all here: the heavy Neo-Prog chords, the exuberant acoustic folk tunes, lots of catchy melodies, and more than one gut-thumping rhythm. And of course no Ritual album or concert would be complete without a moomintroll or two, imaginary creatures out of the celebrated children's stories by Tove Jansson, as always a major source of inspiration for the band.

The other obvious influence would be the music of GENTLE GIANT, by way of JETHRO TULL (circa 'Songs From the Wood'), especially evident during the nine-plus minute acoustic medley, typically a concert highlight (as it was at ROSFest 2008). My favorite moment from the CD version: when frontman Patrick Lundström invites the audience to "sing it!" during one of the band's knottier, more acrobatic vocal harmonies.

You won't hear any 20+ minute epics a la THE FLOWER KINGS (fellow Swedes and kindred musical spirits, but I'll take the playful moomins over Roine Stolt's religious mysticism any day): Ritual's magnum opus 'A Dangerous Journey', from the band's 2008 album 'The Hemulic Voluntary Band', was still two years away at this point. But these guys can pack more animation and muscle into a six-minute, radio-friendly Prog Pop song than most groups can fit into an entire concept album. And make it sound even more dynamic when played on stage for an enthusiastic crowd.

One of Sweden's more criminally overlooked (and arguably best) Prog Rock bands has released only a handful of studio albums over the last decade. But this year 2007 recording, their latest to date, is also their best effort so far.

The album's muscular but melodic style follows in the eclectic footprints of GENTLE GIANT at their mid-'70s peak, employing everything from conventional rock instrumentation to the more ethnic, folk-based sounds of bouzoukis, mandolins, dulcimers et al. And the syncopated clavinet used in the title track at the top of the album is clearly meant to provide an affectionate facsimile of the classic Gentle Giant sound, minus the distinctive croon of Derek Shulman (the sometimes strident voice of Ritual frontman Patrick Lundström can be an acquired taste).

Several more short songs ably display the band's musical range, from the traditional Neo- Prog punch of 'In The Wild' to the acoustic melancholy of 'Late In November' and the toe- tapping Scandinavian funk of 'Waiting By the Bridge'. But the album highlight is unquestionably the ambitious 26-minute saga 'A Dangerous Journey', the band's first attempt at a large scale, multi-chapter composition, and destined to be remembered as a career masterpiece.

If it were possible in these pages to award ratings to individual tracks, this one would easily be a five-star classic. Imagine GENESIS in 1972 having written a musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's 'Alice in Wonderland' instead of 'Supper's Ready' (as always, the yardstick for any Prog Rock epic), and you'll have a rough idea of what to expect. Like the album title itself, the song is drawn from the literature of Finnish author Tove Jansson, in this case a 1977 picture book for children, beautifully reproduced (or at least paraphrased in the band's lyrics) in the CD booklet, with illustrations.

A truncated video clip of a live performance of the song can also be found on the band's Prog Archive page, filmed at their (so far) only Stateside gig, at the May 2008 ROSFest in suburban Philadelphia. The video quality stinks, but the sound is very good, and the song's haunting acoustic guitar and nyckelharpa introduction provides a nice contrast to their rockier mp3 music streams also available here.

It was, to this fan in attendance, the highlight of the entire three-day festival, and augurs well for the band's future. If they can build on the ambition of 'A Dangerous Journey' in upcoming releases (a new studio album is in the works, as I write), Ritual may well become a major name in modern Prog Rock. And better late than never.

Classifying this Swedish quartet as 'crossover prog' is like calling GENTLE GIANT 'prog related': rock music doesn't get much more proggy than Ritual. And the band's third studio album (in a ten-year span: these guys certainly aren't in the same overachieving league as their fellow Swede compatriots in THE FLOWER KINGS) is almost as good as their 1995 debut, showing the same strong melodic instincts and even more assertive musicianship.

In style the music ranges from lighthearted acoustic folk, often inspired by the children's fantasy literature of Tove Jansson (by way of GENTLE GIANT: see 'Moomin Took My Head'), to punchy electric Neo-Prog. This particular effort leans more toward the latter: thus the nervous Middle Eastern rhythms of the energetic album opener 'What Are You Waiting For', and the lush symphonic sweep of 'Humble Decision'. Adding real strings to 'Mother You've Been Gone Too Long' does nothing to compromise the song's evocative strength, and the 'Lark's Tongues in Aspic' power chords in the chorus of 'Infinite Justice' might have been borrowed from ANEKDOTEN, another thoroughbred in the crowded Swedish Prog Rock stable.

The album's only miscalculation is the plodding 'Explosive Paste', a song that unfortunately lives down to its clumsy title. At least the track is immediately followed by the more whimsical 'Once the Tree Would Bloom', in which the busy acoustic guitars, hand-held percussion, and ethnic woodwinds bring out the band's deep Scandinavian folk music roots, but without the expected northern latitude melancholy. And in the end the aptly titled 'Off' closes the album on a note of near ambient elegance, with a simple melody played on a single, muted synthesizer.

In summary: it's another outstanding effort from one of the hidden gems in the Prog Archives database, a band still waiting to be discovered by a lot of potential fans (judging from the relative scarcity of reviews so far: only 34 to date for their initial three albums, compared to 240 for the first three from the Flower Kings).

As the title of the album opener here says, What Are You Waiting For?

On a web site supposedly devoted to Progressive music these Swedish Neo-Proggers should be much better known. The quartet is one of the better acts from a country with a long history of Prog Rock excellence, and their self-titled 1995 album is likewise one of the strongest debut efforts of any band in recent memory.

The first notes of the album opener 'Wingspread' might recall the adrenalin-fueled introduction to 'Heart of the Sunrise' by YES (check out the mp3 sample on their page here at Prog Archives). But elsewhere the band's primary source of inspiration is clearly mid '70s GENTLE GIANT. You can hear it in the lively blend of acoustic and electric elements, often with a strong undercurrent of traditional Swedish folk music married to a heavy, contemporary Neo- Prog sound, all of it given plenty of punch in the crisp, dynamic production.

But unlike the music of too many over-earnest modern proggers, Ritual's debut is an album of rare high spirits, and the group plays with enough energy to support their enthusiasm. That vitality is immediately apparent in the breathless pace of 'Wingspread' (especially during the exuberant chorus), continues into the mock-medieval folk tune 'The Way of Things', and reaches critical mass in the gleeful shanty 'Seasong for the Moominpappa', the first of many songs in their catalogue inspired by the moomintrolls of children's author Tove Jansson.

Perhaps the band's low profile is only a matter of limited exposure. Unlike the absurdly prolific Swedish superstars of THE FLOWER KINGS, their recorded output is meager, to say the least: only four studio albums in the last fifteen years (although as I write a new release in finally pending). And so far their only gig on this side of the Atlantic was a one-night stand (actually a one-afternoon stand) at the 6th annual Rites of Spring music festival in May of 2008, making quite a splash and winning a lot of new fans, this reviewer among them.

Clearly this is one bandwagon with plenty of room for more passengers. Hop on at the first stop, and enjoy the ride.

5 stars

This album is MAGICAL. After giving it a few run throughs I've concluded that it's one of the most enjoyable and fun albums in my collection. An underlying theme of rustic, folkish wilderness adds the occasional tinge of mystery and encourages the listener to discover the landscape that Ritual creates through their music. The lineup:

Hemulic Voluntary Band - This song is obviously dripping in Gentle Giant influence (which is a good thing of course) but is original in its own right and is a great way to kick off the album. There's a certain festive charm to it that gives off the air of a medieval "traveling-troubadour" personality-- it's catchy, playful, and fun. 4.5/5

In the Wild - One of my favorites on Hemulic and a great follow up to the upbeat introduction. The Lundstrom's vocals are enthusiastic and energetic while the background piano contributes an air of mystery. A short instrumental flows seamlessly into an introspective piano solo that manages to be both beautiful and moving without making the all-too-common mistake of treading into cheesy territories. By this point the song transitions into a steadily building and powerful guitar solo, after which the two solo instruments (guitar and piano) converge to complete the song. 5/5

Late in November - The album begins to wind down a bit here with the mellow Late in November, which features acoustic guitar, flute, and a fiddle. This piece intends to musically capture the spirit of the seasonal change from autumn to winter and does so very well. Lundstrom's voice becomes poignant and delicate, and while it is a straight-forward folk piece, it's pleasant one nonetheless. 4.5/5

The Groke - The Groke by itself isn't a song I'd enjoy so much by itself, in fact if not for the context of the rest of the album it would be a 2/5 at most. The Groke marks what is nearly a 180 degree turnaround from where we started off--it's eerie piece about a tortured spirit (?) haunting people at night. I'm not sure if it's an accordion but it adds greatly along with the to the darker ambient of the piece. 4/5

Waiting By the Bridge - Unfortunately a low point in the album for me. I just cannot get into this song. It's well played and very bright and upbeat, but I find the chorus annoying. Rating the album as a whole is difficult because of this song. An unfortunate 2/5

A Dangerous Journey - This 26+ minute epic is extremely well made. Based around Tove Jannson's Moomintroll series of stories and comic books, A Dangerous Journey reminds me of the forgotten wonder and magic in simple folk tales. The epic lover in me demands that I give this track a 5+/5

With the exception of "Waiting by the Bridge", the songs on this album are well-composed as invididual songs, and as a whole the album as a whole thoughtfully constructed as it transitions from one song to another. It's still a solid 5 star album for me.

what an album.a ''prog ,folk , refreshing,moder,classic prog orgy ''

The Hemulic Voluntary Band is by far the best album of ritual. everithing in this album is geat.great sounds ,really good songs ,very complex playing,unusual instruments iand lots of talent. the 5 short song are all great andreally different and the log sons is a 26 minutes of prog heaven.Patrik Lundström is in geat shape [ like always] and his guitar playing is a lot better here that the others albums.Jon Gamble add a lot of colors and Fredrik Lindqvist and Johan Nordgren are in top form for this album.even the artwork of this album is first class. this is a masterpiece and really grows pretty good .if you love prog you should get this one

Masterpiece on every level! I hadn't heard Ritual before this album, and I wasn't exactly quite sure what kind of music they were playing. However I had heard Kaipa, so I knew about what kind of vocals to expect, since the singer, Patrik Lundström, is the same.

This album consists of five shorter songs, and one massive epic in the end with the length of almost half an our. Almost every song is based on the novels by a Finland-Swedish author Tove Jansson, and the lyrics are generally original and inspiring. The vocals by Patrik Lundström couldn't be better.

The music is very melodic and it is in general very focused on catchy melodies throughout the album. There are no boring spots or songs. The way the music is built up reminds me about Gentle Giant every now and then, where lots of different patterns and melodies are made up to create this complex but working entirety. The music is well written and it's easy to listen.

My special attention goes to Dangerous Journey, which is probably the main song of this album. This epic tells a fascinating story that takes you into the world of hemulins and moomins and other creations of Tove Jansson's original fantasy. There are lots of acoustic parts here, but again it isn't boring at any point. It's a 26 minute marathon, so there are enough space for many different moods and different kinds of styles, including a heavier part somewhere at the end of the song.

This is for sure the best album I've heard in a while, and definitely deserves five out of five stars.

How can a band like Ritual who are packed with excellent musicians go from being a really excellent band on their debut album to being below average band on their sophmore release Superb Birth ? Well really it´s not a matter of the musicians but more a matter of song writing skills, and Ritual seems to have lost the inspiration in the four years between the two releases. I really think the debut is excellent prog rock with symphonic and folky tendencies and a worthy purchase. Things change though don´t they ?

The beautiful prog tendencies that were very much present on the debut are almost gone from Superb Birth and when I mention the albums and bands this reminds me of you´ll understand just about how this sounds. Queensryche´s Here in the Now Frontier, Alice in Chains´s Jar of Flies ( I really like this EP but it has a similar sound, just much much better) and Soundgarden´s last album Down on the Upside. All albums with a warm but somewhat dull sound. On top of that I hear some eastern influences on Superb Birth too. There a literally no songs that stand out from the others. Just a grey mass of trivial grunge inspired rock.

The musicianship is very good though and this helps the album from total failure. I just miss the exciting instrumentation that were on the debut. According to the credits they play all sorts of instruments on the album, but most of the album is with pretty normal rock intrumentation.

The sound quality is ok if you like this kind of production. Personally I don´t like it at all. It´s way to murky and grunge inspired. I like the clear production on the debut much better.

All in all I can´t give this album more than 2 stars. It has been a major disappointment to listen to and I´m sure only real fans of the band can find pleasure in this. I wouldn´t recommend this to more conventional prog rock fans.

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.