Release Date: August 11th 2023. Record Label: bensnburner Records. Formats: CD/DD/Cassette
Rituals: Tracklisting
Dustbowl
Pack Hunt
Pathfinder
Cascades
Threndoy
CCC
Got A Light?
Rain Chant
Minor Case Of Serious Brain Damage
Journey In Satchindananda
/imagine
Minus World (Bonus Track)
Members
Martin Fischer - Guitar, Synth Flo Möbes - Guitar, Pedal Steel Ben Krahl - Bass, Bass VI, Synths Philipp Schlotter - Guitar, Synths, Zither Bene Abert - Guitar, Live Sampling, Special Effects Norman Lonhard - Drums
Review:
Rituals is the new album from Experimental Doom/Stoner Metallers bunsenburner and they continue their blend of cinematic style of Psychedelic Rock with a hard-hitting "Jazz" based sound that drifts into other movements of glitches and trippy sound effects. The whole album conveys multiple styles of mood and emotion from within the Doom/Stoner Metal scene. However, bunsenburner know how to play wonderfully realised and progressive based instrumental jams with a Post-Doom underscore to it all.
With the album being purely instrumental, bunsenburner add a lot of different Synths, Guitars, and Samples to their music with each song having a different identity throughout. Though it's good to see bunsenburner to play familiar elements of Doom/Stoner Rock to let the more casual fan enjoy their music. Things go slightly Jazzy when bunsenburner adds a Prog Metal flavour to the mix on the first few opening tracks of Dustbowl, Pack Hunt and Pathfinder. The music has a distinctive Black Sabbath sound and influence with the carefree experimental attitudes of the 70's KrautRock era even when the sludgier movements make a welcome appearance.
Rituals sees bunsenburner have a fearless drive to their music which is always highly melodic and knows when to play a non-stop style of intense progressive grooves with eerie synths having a more Post-Rock and Americana twist which comes into play more on the later stages of Pathfinder.
Fourth song Cascades is an aggressive Sludge Rock based track with the "Jazzy" interludes becoming more Doom & Gloom with a haunting instrumental score showing delicous levels of twisted FUZZ and AMPLIFIER DISTORTION. Just when you have the band all figured out with this release, bunsenburner changes creative directions even when the mellower moments appear. There's still a slight twinge of Stoner Rock/Metal aggression which slowly makes itself known with some incredible drumming being the main standout of this track.
bunsenburner go slightly off-key here with the next song Threnody. As this song has a more improvised feel with the dominant Post-Rock sound being the main key and perhaps allowing bunsenburner playing the most laid-back and chilled out song on the album even with the subtle Post-Doom textures heard in the background.
Sixth song CCC is more of a Post-Stoner Rock based aggressive number with a slower style of music allowing bunsenburner to channel all that Psychedelic and Spaced Out FUZZY aggression for one of the most interesting and standout tracks on the album. Some folks may feel not much is going on with this track with it's short running time. However, it's what bunsenburner deliver with those Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal tones that oozes a sublime Atmospheric Post-Rock sound.
bunsenburner continue building up their Experimental Stoner Metal sound with even some shamanic chants being added on Got A Light? with the band adding global based sounds and flavours once again for perhaps one of the most "out-there" tracks on the album. This is one of the most experimental and crazed tracks on the album. There are some parts I couldn't get away with but it was cool to hear bunsenburner putting the listener through their paces.
The next part of the album has a more Drone/Jazz/Psychedelic sound with bunsenburner moving away from the Heavier Elements that appeared on the first part of the album. The band play definitely operates with a "less is more" agenda on tracks such as Rain Chant, Minor Case Of Serious Brain Damage and Journey In Satchindananda though the later stages of these tracks sees the band change back to a more aggressive Stoner charge with their music. You may have to wait extra time to hear those delicious heavy grooves that bunsenburner are well capable of.
The final two tracks of /imagine and Minus World allows bunsenburner the perfect opportunity to close this album in a more Droned Out and Highly Atmospheric way. Ingenouis Experiemntal sounds that venture through the Doom/Stoner/Post-Rock arena but taking a few leftfield creative turns along the way.
Rituals is an epic album from bunsenburner that delivers a delirously different and extremely challenging album but one that has a ton of great extended grooves and instrumentalz solos along the way. Just be prepared for a real PSYCHEDELIC HEAD TRIP.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to bensnburner Records for the promo.
Rituals will be available to buy on CD/DD/Cassette via bensnburner Records from August 11th 2023.
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