Release Date: March 24th 2022. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Format: CD/DD
Cleansing Ritual - Tracklisting
1.Ancient Disease 09:14
2.Solaris 10:26
3.Murder By Music 08:25
4.On The Edge 12:08
Review
Psych Doom/Sludge Metallers Sator return with another heavy round of bludgeoning sludgy grooves on their excellent new album Cleansing Ritual. The album contains four lengthy compositions of down-tuned guitars, psychedelic rhythms and aggressive vocals. Taking a more primal approach on this release, Sator offers an uncompromising blend of modern day Doom/Sludge Metal that will appeal to fans of CONAN, Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard.
The album has a cool “NOLA” vibe which you can hear on the superb opening song Ancient Disease. Distorted doom grooves that constantly change with the bleak moods and atmosphere that lies with this song. Some progressive vibes appear towards the later stages of the song with Sator playing towards the Doom Metal spectrum with intricate bursts of Sludge riffs allowing the song to be one of the standout parts of the album.
Second song Solaris opens with an “Occult Rock” appetite before slowly moving into Sludge Metal territory with a gloomy sense of doom fully taking over. The harsh growls are easy to understand and follow but still retaining a threatening presence of their own. The music is distorted and down-tuned yet again but still allowing Sator to find the time to play some fantastic riffs along the way even if they’re the long drawn out kind.
Sator keep up this Sludge/Doom Metal aggression with supreme confidence on the remaining two tracks of Murder By Music and On The Edge leaving no stone unturned in playing a more brutal style of music from the band. Though, it’s hard to believe that there are some catchy and addictive sounds on the second half of the album despite the bleak subject matter especially on Murder By Music.
Sator have been releasing great albums since their debut album in 2015 and with the band four albums into their recording career, it seems the band have no time or appetite to mellow out. This is Sator’s heaviest and most impressive album they’ve released to date. As Cleansing Ritual is an exciting listen to fully experience and behold.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Mona at All Noir PR for the promo.
Cleansing Ritual is available to buy now on CD/DD via Argonauta Records.
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