BLOOD RITUAL

Somewhere between nihilistic ambience and crushing brutality, BLOOD RITUAL set up shop in a murky corner of death metal, informed and influenced by early black metal. Sole member Tim Bishop treads the same dark paths of primeval murk as IMMOLATION and INCANTATION, though his music is less technical than the former, less oppressively crushing than the latter. That's actually a good thing, in most cases — opener "Invocation of Satan" is possessed of an old-school gallop and killer guitar solos that hearken to the early, innovative days of the genre, and the somewhat muddy production retains enough clarity to let these shifting rhythms and pealing solos achieve maximum effect.

BLOOD RITUAL maintains a rather epic vision as well — when the opening track is over eight minutes long, and the entire thing is effective (the slow, martial section at around the five minute mark is awesome),it bodes well for the staying power of the whole album. "Necromancy" and "Ritual of Lust" traverse slow, doomy passages, the latter sporting some interesting bass lines that propel the song and provide additional atmosphere. Hell, the instrumental "Ur Song" is full of open, odd chords right out of THE OBSESSED or UNORTHODOX's doom songbook, while closer "Creation of Lilin" features spooky chanting choirs and a funereal tempo that'll send shivers down the spine.

There's plenty of blasting fury, though, fear not — "Hand of Glory" is a perfect showcase of both malevolently churning double-kick rhythms, furious blast beats, and some of that weird start-stop drumming that made the best SINISTER tracks sound so demented and off-the-rails. The old school vibe here is perfect for the material — sometimes even the doubled guitar tracks seem to be out of sync, fighting with each other just a smidge, adding an element of chaos antithetical to today's quantized, computerized productions.

"Black Grimoire" offers little in the way of surprises, but its bleak aura and firm grip on lurching, blasphemous death metal make it a satisfying listen. Fans of the above-mentioned bands, and those who think death metal peaked artistically when MORBID ANGEL released "Blessed Are the Sick", this is the album that will light your dark path and deliver you from hordes of faceless gore-grind and clinical thrash disguised as modern death metal.