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Sanctifying Ritual - Sanctifying Ritual

Released June 5th 2020

Runtime: 41 Minutes, 16 Seconds

Record Label: Iron Bonehead Productions

(Tales Of The) Sinister Appearance (5:55)

Into Obscure Abyss (4:51)

Curse Of Evil (4:45)

Obsessed By Gore (4:08)

Carved In Rotten Remains (3:39)

Stained With Rotten Blood (5:52)

Throne Of Evil Atrocity (4:09)

Mankind Devastation (4:29)

Abominable Death Rituals (3:28)

Lord (Drums)

Enforcer (Bass)

Venomessiag (Guitar)

Tyrant (Vocals)

June 5th saw several albums released that i wanted to check out with Sanctifying Ritual’s debut self-titled album being one of them. Formed back in 2008 and hailing from the German province of Thuringia the band have been at it for quite a while yet had never pumped out a full length album. Their history consists of some Demos, an EP and a Compilation before they were finally able to drop their first album on us a full 12 years after they originally formed. I always have a keen excitement for checking out this type of album where the band have been together for quite a while and yet only drop their first album on the public now, it makes me all the more curious as to what the band will bring to the table and especially when its my first experience of them as well. So let’s see what Sanctifying Ritual managed to finally bring us on their first album over a decade in the making.

In a slightly different approach to a lot of modern death metal albums I’ve heard this year, Sanctifying Ritual instead give us something that feels ripped straight out of a nightmare and into our dreams. The album comes across with this lucid but archaic sound to it that comes coupled with this particularly unrefined production quality that seriously impacts on how the album sounds. What’s great though is that it’s not something that stands as a detriment to the band’s performance however as it really suits the kind of songwriting that the band demonstrate throughout the record. The band give us a no holds barred approach to death metal, one that’s very primal and in your face. There’s no kind of special treatment being applied to the songwriting here as the band throw one flurry of riff work after another in your direction and the production really helps to amplify this effect. You’re able to make out audibly what the music is doing and where it’s going but, it’s down to how the album sounds that lends the band their feral aggression. It’s very old school in this respect as one can envision the productions of earlier death metal like Death, Possessed etc within this record, it’s refreshing to hear a modern album boast a production standard like the band here do; you sometimes need to give your ears something that’s a lot more feral and untamed than we’ve been used to lately.

A great deal of this album feels devoted to speed. The album may not necessarily be moving at a hundred miles an hour at every waking moment of the album however, you always feel like the band could at any moment break into sweet ecstasies of adrenaline that will sweep your feet up and carry you through the album’s progression. Due to the kind of production the band have opted for, when the band do venture into faster territories and pacing that is a lot more ripping you feel the increase in speed to a far greater extent than you may experience from other modern death metal bands. Is this why so many old school death metal albums still hold up today? Possibly. When the band do pick up on their speed good lord do you feel it emanating from the guitar work as it comes across with this biting and prevailing strength. There’s something about adopting this kind of production that really allows the band to benefit from the excessive speed they apply to their songwriting and it’s not just in the riffs but the drumming too. The album sounds great when the band are playing with a standard pacing but once they pick things up it’s like the album takes on a larger life of its own.

I think the best part of the band’s instrumentation though has to be the drumming. Not only do I think it’s the best element of the band that feels mixed in the most effectively but considering the kind of production and sound the band are demonstrating here, the drums play with a surprising depth of clarity to their credit. It’s clear that the band really wanted to get their drums done right and I would say that they certainly achieved this. Cymbal strikes are clear and allow you to dive deeper into the warped sound the band are championing, Tom-toms are delivered with a resolute and sound performance that makes the drums feel competent and fully realised. But when the bass drums are utilised in a greater fashion that’s when I feel the drums attain their maximum potential as not only do they come off with a really resounding bass-driven sound that helps to fill the album with a more baritone touch, but they really help to drive home an impact that the bass guitar throughout the album doesn’t particularly seem to strike us with. As a result the bass drums are necessary to the album’s impact and while the bass itself could be louder I’d still say the bass drum does enough to lend strength to the album as well as give the drums themselves a satisfying and whole presence to the instrumentation for the band.

This album may designate itself as death metal however I couldn’t help but feel like this record has a resounding level of blackened attire applied to its performance. Whether we consider the visceral and spitting tone the vocals are constantly offering us , the immensely icy guitar tone the riffs conjure up or the straight up and rudimentary drumming the band litter throughout the record there is this constant underlayering of a blackened force driving the band’s performance. If the band’s songwriting and general tone felt a little thicker on album then this idea would be prevailing throughout its duration, however because the album is what it is I just can’t shake the feeling that it feels like a death metal record with the odd blackened element seeping it’s way through the band. The vocals sound like they’re forever spitting in your face or at the very least have this more visceral and blackened aesthetic. I could absolutely imagine these vocals being at the forefront of a black metal band so when we apply them to Sanctifying Ritual for example, they lend the album a more piercing, thinner and generally evil performance than a more baritone and bass-heavy vocal performance would otherwise deliver.

My favourite tracks off this album are (Tales Of The) Sinister Apperance, Stained With Rotten Blood and Abominable Death Rituals. In conclusion, after what I’ve mentioned I can say that this is a solid album. You’re not exactly going to receive anything particularly groundbreaking or earth shattering from this record here, however with that said the band do a great job at giving us an album that is completely modern and true to what you’ll hear throughout death metal this year and yet still give us something predominantly old school and proud of it too. The vocals however do lend a far more blackened aesthetic than what I was expecting so if you’re a fan of more blackened death metal then this is an album well worth checking out. While I myself can’t call myself a fan of the band after listening to this record I’m still glad I checked it out, especially since it is the band’s first album as well. Ultimately it’s a solid album that while doesn’t really do anything new, it still does it’s job at entertaining throughout its duration and honestly you can’t fault it for that.

7/10

Review #225

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