Volt Ritual - Swamp Lake City (EP Review)

Release Date: February 07th 2025. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: CD/DD

Swamp Lake City - Track Listing:

1. The Giant Awaits

2. Miasto Wśród Bagien

Members

Mateusz - gtr/voc

Joanna - bass

Tomek - drums

Review

Swamp Lake City is the new EP from Polish Doom/Stoner Power Trio Volt Ritual who take the cool and sleaziness of Monster Magnet and merge it with the heavy FUZZY grooves of bands such as Electric Wizard, Black Sabbath and FU MANCHU. Whilst not an entirely new concept, this doesn’t stop Volt Ritual adding a slight Doomedelic spin into their music especially within the outstanding opening track The Giant Awaits.

There’s a Grunge/Punk Rock aesthetic behind Mateusz's vocals that has shades of Dave Wyndorf self aware style of bleak cynicism complimenting the classic sounding Stoner Rock based lyrics. The music does have a distinctive Sludgy atmosphere with a vibrant down-tuned and fuzzy reverb atmosphere allowing the music to become disruptively addictive along the way.

Second song Miasto Wśród Bagien is a solid FUZZED UP affair with a subtle Black Sabbath/Electric Wizard style of sound appearing with that rebellious Punk Rock sound. The song is wholly sung in Polish and I believe this is the title track written in Polish but I could be completely wrong on that score. However, the song has quite an “in your face” attitude with a murky Psych/Stoner Rock sound coming into focus. There’s a killer bass line provided by Joanna with Tomek’s drums having a more forceful attitude compared to the opening track.

Swamp Lake City is an absolutely fantastic EP that allows Volt Ritual to achieve a lot both creatively and musically speaking with a wicked selection of different Doom, Grunge, Fuzz and Stoner Rock passages which can be quite melodic and brilliantly aggressive at the same time.

All I can say is MORE PLEASE. As I’m really looking forward to what Volt Ritual will deliver in the future.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Solid Rock PR for the promo,

Swamp Lake City will be available to buy on CD/DD from Friday 07th February 2025.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram

Polish Stoner/Doom Rock Vand VOLT RITUAL presents single "The Giant Awaits" from upcoming "Swamp Lake City" EP

VOLT RITUAL are on their quest for the ultimate riff. The band was formed in Bielsko-Biała, Poland in the middle of year 2020. First rehearsals took place in an abandoned and cold house – anyway, a volt ritual requires only electricity. Since the beginning they have been focused on delivering heavy riffs and high-energy grooves. Main sources of inspiration were, and are to this day, Fu Manchu, Monster Magnet, Black Sabbath and Electric Wizard.

Self-titled debut album got released in June 2022 and from that time the band actively plays live shows with fellow riff mongers. December 2022 brought a new single “Droga 2023”, departure of founding member, drummer Marcin and arrival of Tomek, whose drumming skills take the band’s sound to the new level. With Tomek on board the band recorded an EP “Return to Jupiter” which got released on February 2, 2024 and brought answers to all questions about ancient ruins, cold outer space and high voltage. In the middle of the year Joanna took over the low frequencies department.

Year 2025 brings a new EP titled “Swamp Lake City” and of course more live shows.

Band comments their upcoming release: "These two songs have been with the band since the very beginning, yet they needed some time to get their final form. Armed with classic stoner riffs we wander through the Solar System and face the ultimate gothic horror"

Music for new EP was recorded in 2024 and all were mixed and mastered by Roch Gablankowski. Cover artwork was done by Mateusz Węgrzynkiewicz. Album will be released on February 2, 2025 on digital format (pre-save) and limited CD.

PREMIERE!

Listen to the "The Giants Awaits" song

at 666MrDoom Youtube channel https://youtu.be/TsVC5I8mkCo

at Rob Hammer Youtube channel https://youtu.be/vadTTJnXDs4

Tracklist:

1. The Giant Awaits
2. Miasto Wśród Bagien

Thanks to Solid Rock PR for all of the details.

Volt Ritual - Return To Jupiter (EP Review)

Release Date: 02nd February 2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Return To Jupiter - Tracklisting

Heavy Metal Is Good For You

Ghostpolis

Gwiazdolot

Return To Jupiter

Members

Mateusz Węgrzynkiewicz – guitar, voice

Michał Zgajewski – bass

Tomek Łabaj – drums, voice

Review

Return To Jupiter is the new EP from Doom/Stoner Rockers Volt Ritual who released a killer debut album back in June 2022 which saw the band specialise in playing Fuzzed Up Doom/Stoner based jams that takes influence from FU MANCHU, Truckfighters and Black Sabbath. There was also a classic Hard Rock sound that appeared within that album and I’m kicking myself to this day for not reviewing the album when it was originally released.

I’m not making the same mistake with their even better follow-up Return To Jupiter which sees Volt Ritual play a Doomedelic and Desert Rock style of music with the band more comfortable with their own sound and exploring gloomier sounds compared to their debut album. The EP runs for around twenty two minutes and has all the right ingredients for a killer Doom/Stoner Rock release with heavy instrumental jams and great vocals to match.

Opening track Heavy Metal Is Good For You has a KYUSS and TRUCKFIGHTERS essence within the instrumental moments with Volt Ritual exploring a more Progressive style of music. The vocals are kept to a minimum with the song having a few moments of Sludge Rock appearing in the later stages of the track.

Second song Ghostpolis has a more jagged Psychedelic quality with Volt Ritual taking their time blending Scorched Desert soundscapes with a Sludgy Space Rock theme which is quite commonplace for the Polish underground scene. The vocals are more present on this track with a Doom Rock/Metal spirit that allows the band to deliver a more FUZZED UP style of music with Michal’s ever present and powerful bass guitar being one of the standout parts of the song. 

Third song Gwiazdolot is a straight up and classic sounding Fuzz/Stoner Rock song which relies upon the KYUSS/FU MANCHU template of delivering riffs but with a more Punk Rock attitude. The vocals are sung in Polish and remain lively, upbeat and slightly rebellious with the melodic tone throughout the track. The overall sound can be quite GARAGE ROCK based especially within the production side of the EP though it’s still another sublime track from Volt Ritual.

The final song Return To Jupiter is perhaps the standout track with Volt Ritual delving into the Space Rock vortex for a song that’s quite distorted and even progressive based for certain parts of the track. Though, the heavy WEEDIAN moments are ever present for Volt Ritual to play a song that’s deliberately slow paced but one that has the right amount of aggression and melodic attitude to impress listeners with.

Return To Jupiter is another highly rewarding release from Volt Ritual and shows how the band have improved as musicians and storytellers since their debut release. If you want a release with classic sounding Doom/Desert/Stoner Rock grooves but with moments of modern day Psych Rock and Sludge Rock then look no further as Volt Ritual have all bases covered.

Words by Steve Howe 

Thanks to Volt Ritual for the promo.

Return To Jupiter will be available to buy digitally from Friday 02nd February 2024.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp