Artist: Ritual Carnage
Label: The End Records
Release Date: 8/23/05
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Title: I, Infidel Artist: Ritual Carnage Label: The End Records Release Date: 8/23/05 |
Judgment Committee Reviews | Rating |
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4 | ||
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Abyss's Review:
This album is so close to being an incredible record, yet it comes up just short. We fans of the 80s thrash scene will most likely be able to look past some of the warts on this thing, but our more contemporary brethren will consider it completely dated, mostly because - well, it is somewhat dated. Simply put, before picking this album up, you should consider how much you like the vocal stylings of Joey Belladonna, because the comparisons are impossible to ignore.
"One word review: Belladonic." I actually came of age when Joey and Anthrax were one of the most identifiable voices of the underground scene, and because of that, this album is really holding my attention. But the simple fact is that vocalist Danny 'Carnage' Montgomery's 80s style comes up a bit short. It's not so much the type of voice he uses, it's the way he uses it. I can't really put my finger on it, but it's like he's just not that emotional about what he's singing. Sure, he sounds like he's from the 80s, and it's nice to hear a non growling vocalist every now and then, but he there seems to be no emotion in his wailings. Where's the vitriol, the anger? Metal's nothing without something dark and emotional festering below the surface.
This is unfortunate because the music beneath varies from solid to killer. The riffs slash and burn and are complemented by some sick breakdowns come chorus or bridge time. That doesn't even touch on the nice sound the guitars have. And so here we have it...an album that had almost all of the ingredients, but ends up somewhere in the middle tier. This band simply hasn't lived up to their potential, although I remain confident that they will relive past glories in the future. One word review: Belladonic.
Death's Review:
Like your thrash Bay Area style, complete with an old school wail? Think Nuclear Assault, Overkill, Hirax or Vio-lence are metal gods? Like that style of vocal - you know, that divisive style of nasal and atonal yet aggressive and charismatic vocal that only the true believers could adopt as their own? If yes, then the new album from Japan's Ritual Carnage, their third, might be worth checking out. I, Infidel brings new meaning to the word "retro," playing the whole 80's thrash thing so pitch-perfect - without a hint of irony - that it deserves a certain measure of respect that the more tongue-in-cheek retro bands like 3 Inches of Blood do not.
"All in all, I appreciate the effort, and generally like the ore Ritual Carnage are trying to mine." That said, while these guys want to be Vio-lence it seems, I know Sean Killian when I hear him and, frankly, Sean Killian this is not. Killian had a certain bite to his whiny bark that really made it work. And an "out-of-control" sense of chaos exuded from his lightning fast barrage of phrasing, which combined with the Slayer-style angular riffing created a searing brutality that is lost on Ritual Carnage. All of the elements of the classic thrash sound are there on I, Infidel, but the end product definitely comes off as dated and a bit lifeless despite my affinity for the sound they seek to emulate. I understand that the band's two prior releases do not gun for this same vocal style, so perhaps the Vio-lence comparison is not as apt when viewed via the perspective of the Ritual Carnage back catalogue. All I can tell you is what I hear when listening to I, Infidel.
All in all, I appreciate the effort, and generally like the ore Ritual Carnage are trying to mine. This is not the best example of the genre, but it is probably one of the only versions created in 2005, and for that, this deserves some attention.
Hel's Review:
If you are a fan of any and all old-school 80s-style thrash, have I got a band for you. Ritual Carnage, despite their ultra-cool death metal-sounding name, actually deliver a very classic style of thrash and for good reason, since according to their press release they have been around for over 12 years. I know, that means they started out in the mid-90s, but let’s not squabble over details, ok? Yet another interesting tidbit about the band: Ritual Carnage hail from Japan.
"These boys play a very technical, yet traditional, style of thrash." Despite all of these interesting factoids, I’d never heard of this band before The End Records sent I, Infidel our way. I’m definitely thrash-amenable, and I found these boys play a very technical, yet traditional, style of thrash that I enjoyed. The guitar work in particular is extremely impressive, pushing otherwise standard, albeit catchy, songs to a new level.
Will I revisit this album often? Maybe not, but I will always recall the chorus of the title track, and the record as a whole, with much fondness. Even though Ritual Carnage has a traditional take on thrash, they deliver it with heart and passion, and really, isn’t that what it’s all about?
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