2023 reissue on marbled green vinyl - On their debut full length for felte, titled Turkish Leather, they incorporate a variety of styles into an ominously self-assured statement of intent, Ben Saginaw and Chris Samuels' sounds providing an imposing form for Paul Bancell's darkly alive lyrics to inhabit. Their influences range from English post-punk to Nick Cave to the industrial sounds of Skinny Puppy, and the band melds them expertly. Combining field recordings with electronics, this music is sound design turned pop.<p>
Many tracks here feel cinematic - whether it's the industrial clanging of "A Taste of You," which brings to mind a Lynchian bar scene, or the gothy synths of "Take Me Up," a slow burning track that escalates into full on melodrama. It's easy to imagine these twangy guitar lines gracing a scene in a Jarmusch film: their aesthetic owes as much to Tom Waits as it does Ennio Moriccone.<p>
Ritual Howls manages to take all these influences and come out sounding uniquely morbid, raw and unyielding - never derivative. It's a record that holds nothing back: the band announcing themselves to the world with all of the confidence of long time professionals. Their future audience will greet them with enthusiasm.
| A1 | Zemmoa |
| A2 | The Taste Of You |
| A3 | Take Me Up |
| A4 | My Friends |
| B1 | Final Service |
| B2 | Helm |
| B3 | No Witnesses |
| B4 | Turkish Leather |
