By and large, the underground of metal is something that is absolutely something that we still cannot easily pin down for numerous reasons. Death metal, for all intents and purposes, has remained stalwart and resilient in its many different crusades as the decades have stacked on top of each other as bands of all sorts try their best at emulating the old, embracing the new, and everything in between. With their debut album, Invocation Ritual show us what it means to embody both but somehow still come out well-defined and undenaibly strong.
In the constant push-and-pull environment that death metal has found itself in in recent times, it can be all too easy for a band such as this to fall through the cracks and find themselves subjected to a truly unfortunate form of obscurity the likes of which not many could claw out of. Fortunately, that does not seem to be the case with Invocation Ritual as it’s a welcome sight to see their debut, “Altered Reality”, making the rounds as it very well deserves, and it’s upon even a glance at what the record offers that it should become immediately clear why that is the case. This album is an eviscerating ripper! From the aural meat grinder of a bass to the immeasurably frenetic songwriting that ensures the heartbeat of “Altered Reality” is constantly and consistently on the edge of glorious cardiac arrest, these ten tracks are nothing if not a testament to what the underground can still throw down when the star aligns, the undead stir, and everything falls into place for magnificent talent to rise to the occasion. This is the kind of death metal that takes itself incredibly seriously with every riff, every smack of the drums, and every guttural utterance of defiance into the void culminating in stupendous form to make Invocation Ritual not a name to already respect but one to be feared.
In no small form, “Altered Reality” practically has it all. Apart from mercy, of course. Invocation Ritual saw their entrance as the best opportunity to make a name for themselves to show us what they can do, how potent their undeniable power already is, and what cruel suffering awaits within for those unprepared to deal with such a high magnitude of terror. Pound for pound, “Altered Reality” delivers on virtually every front with us left as naught but a pulsating mass of unidentifiable viscera that’s somehow begging for more.
LISTEN to “Altered Reality” on Bandcamp here.
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