The Pitch: Out of Albuquerque, NM come Daniel Jackson's icy black metal project Void Ritual via Ipos Music. All revenue the album generates will be donated to The Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.
What I Like: Always nice to see a project actually willing to do something for a cause instead of just grandstanding on social media. Keep your tweets to yourself. In any case, Void Ritual is a solid black metal project, and this EP continues with the mission statement of "crafting powerful, memorable black metal with a reverence for the genres’s second wave." I'm particularly fond of the epic, folky sounding "Given Unto the Water" and all-encompassing blizzard that is "The Howling Darkness," but there are also some moodier pieces towards the end. This latter material is accentuated by lyrics about dealing with loss, extreme anxiety and depression. It's all very reminiscent of the earliest works from the likes of Sacramentum and Satyricon.
Critiques: While I like the variety of pacing and mood, I'm not in love with the second half. Fast and big is where this project shines.
The Verdict: Death Is Peace is a solid, no-frills black metal outing worthy of adding to your collection...and for a good cause too. While I'd like to see a little more consistency and focus on the strengths, Void Ritual are a project worth following.
Flight's Fav's: Given Unto the Water, The Howling Darkness, Death Is Peace
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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