Release Date: September 14th 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD/Cassette
Doors To The Dead - Tracklisting
1.Waning Light 03:55
2.Sun Chariot Intro 00:44
3.Sun Chariot 06:11
4.Bog Bodies 04:30
5.Son of the Eastern Plains 07:00
6.Cuneiform 04:29
7.Copper Axe 05:42
8.Dawn Goddess 05:46
Members
Jason Tapia - Vocals, guitar, synth
Rob Black - Bass
Kelly McGovern - Drums
Review:
Doors To The Dead is the new album from Psychedelic Stoner Metallers Formation Ritual and sees the band fully cross over to the realm of full on Doomed Out Metal compared to their 2022 debut album The Shifting Dust. Adding a more abstract gloomier progressive feel with elements of trippy Post based Weirdness that allows Formation Ritual bringing the classic 70’s Doom Metal visions to modern day WEEDIAN audiences who like their music a bit more spaced out and full of sllghtly distorted rhythms where there’s some mighty guitar reverb along the way.
That’s not to say the band have left their debut album’s wicked style of Classic Hard Rock and bombastic 80’s based Heavy Metal grooves. Formation Ritual showcase within the excellent opening track Waning Light they’ve found the right creative ground to play their own definitive style of gloomy heaviness which has a destructive FUZZY sound that moves over within the next two tracks of Sun Chariot Intro and Sun Chariot.
Echoes of Black Sabbath, Electric Wizard and Mastodon can be heard within the third track Sun Chariot which has a more cavalier approach with the lyrics that works superbly well with Jason’s intense vocal performance. Formation Ritual plays a long drawn out style of classical heavy metal guitar solos that airs on the right side of Prog Metal without ever getting too much for the whole concept of the album.
Fourth track Bog Bodies opts for a stripped back and extended trippy progressive jams with the music being played at a delicate slow pace. The “less-is-more” creative feeling of the song does allow Formation Ritual to play some of the most intense FUZZIER sounds on the album. There’s a great style of WO FAT sounding Swampy Sludgy grooves merging with perhaps an early Alice In Chains vocal narrative which does showcase a different side to the band.
Fifth song Sons Of The Eastern Plains has a more dramatic feeling with the band adding subtle traces of Blues Rock and subtle hints of Synths being more dramatic and perhaps even Occult based. The style of music is very hard to pin down but remains constantly engaging with a soulful approach.
The final three songs of Cuneiform, Copper Axe and Dawn Goddess is the most excessive Doomed Out parts of the album with Formation Ritual offering a Scorched Earth sound which is quite destructive within both the Fuzz Rock and Progressive elements which you feel within Cuneiform and Dawn Goddess.
Doors To The Dead allows Formation Ritual to release an outstanding album that not only builds upon what came before it but absolutely annihilates to pieces at the same time with the fine amount of intense Psychedelic Doom/Stoner Metal grooves that’s contained within.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Formation Ritual for the promo.
Links
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