The Dead - Ritual Executions

Release Date: June 28th, 2010
Label: Diabolical Conquest Records

TRACK LISTING

1.  Burn Your Dead
2.  Cannibal Abattoir
3.  Centurion
4.  Born in a Grave
5.  Ritual Executions
6.  Blood Angel
7.  Death Metal Suicide

Total playing time:  46:32

July 29, 2010

Reviewer: Jesse

Groovy, baby.  And no, I’m not trying to channel Ash from Army of Darkness, but The Dead’s second full-length album, Ritual Executions, is just about the grooviest death/doom album I’ve heard in, well, ever.  It’s not often that you hear such heaviness blended together with so many riffs on one album, but that is exactly what you’ll find on this album.  In fact, I’d say that Ritual Executions has a certifiable armory of riffs that come rumbling out of your speakers like a tank slowly pushing its way through a charred forest, pulverizing the dead wood into dust.  Even as it methodically pummels, it’s highly energetic in a very groove-oriented structure, as my earlier adjective would imply.  The very enthusiastic riffing gives way to highly memorable sections that are near impossible for the headbanging synapse in your brain to ignore.

The guitars are extraordinarily thick and meaty; heavy as all hell, but recorded perfectly as to not let their distortion or degraded sound become an annoyance.  I say this with caution, but there’s almost a grungy atmosphere created when these dirty chords are unleashed within most of the tracks.  The drums have a tendency to get drowned out at certain moments during the album, but you can still hear just how lively and active the drummer is, which I’m sure comes to life fantastically in the live setting.  I think this album succeeds immensely when it comes to the vocals.  Nothing sounds more filthy and primitive than some seriously deep and guttural growls and combined with the overall doomy and dirty feel of the album, it’s a perfect union. 

But then again, and like I opened this review with, Ritual Executions is just as fun and rocking as it is prime and doom-filled.  The first track, “Burn Your Dead,” opens with a sort of crescendoing intro that bleeds right into the song and might be the best growled interpretation of an early Black Sabbath song.  The pace picks up about midway through and that trademark groove comes to light that you’ll hear throughout.  This is one of the only songs that manages to incorporate both elements, at least with such fluidity.  It really is one of the best openers I’ve heard this year in terms of setting the stage for the rest of the album.  Your first introduction to a blast beat of any kind comes four tracks in on “Born in a Grave” that flows to a sort of slap/slam-happy section, but thankfully it ends quickly and then the doom awakens and transforms the song.  The closing track, “Death Metal Suicide,” is an instrumental that is total 70s hard rock droning in a death metal skin. 

Aside from a few minor things, Ritual Executions is easily the most fun and grimy album of 2010.  Sounds kind of strange to say those descriptions together, but it’s entirely accurate from my vantage point.  I should also mention that this is fledgling-label Diabolical Conquest Records’ first ever signing, which is a huge win for them.  Most labels have to struggle through at least a dozen bands before they can attempt to attract a band of this quality to join their roster and to do it right out of the gate is surely impressive.  The brass over at DC Records surely have an ear for metal and apparently took their time in deciding who to approach first.  This is something a lot of other small labels can learn from.  Great job, both of you.

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