Album Review: Ritual Aesthetic – Wound Garden (Cleoparta Records)

Denver based industrial metal band Ritual Aesthetic will be releasing a new album titled Wound Garden on July 27th 2018 via Cleopatra Records. The band was formed by Sean Von Helvete of extreme horror band Dawn of Ashes, and this is their 2nd record. Since their start in 2013 the band has built an impressive following in Colorado and beyond and will take their music worldwide with Wound Garden.

Playing a dark-wave and devilishly twisted sound of industrial metal, Ritual Aesthetic’s fuzzy electronica with heavy rhythm and dirty vocals are appealing. It does take a few tracks for them really find their feet though as Life Amnesia doesn’t wow.

The Analog Flesh and Divided are a step in the right direction though. The former is groove-heavy with cleverly sampled sounds while the latter’s high-tempo makes a bold statement. Both show plenty of industrial metal promise.

With rewed vigour, Dread’s Manson-esque gothic tone and harsher metal moments proves to be the album highlight alongside the meaty Malefaktor. Both tracks make great use of freakish electronica and futuristic industrial soundscapes that never over-shadow the mind-melting metal riffs and hooks.

Unfortunately the less said about Mechanism Of Desire (Electronic Substance Abuse Remix), the better. The drum and bass beat is incredibly irritating. Chemical Weapons (Seraphim System Remix) is better but the quality of the production on all three of these remix tracks is pretty poor, they all sound really quiet and distant as if you’re listening to them through a wall.

Wound Garden ends disappointingly on the forgettable Amnesiac (Xentrifuge Remix). Worth a few listens at least, probably best you just skip the three remix tracks though.

Ritual Aesthetic – Wound Garden Full Track Listing:

1. Stasis
2. Life Amnesia
3. The Analog Flesh
4. Divided
5. Dread
6. Malefaktor
7. Mechanism Of Desire (Electronic Substance Abuse Remix)
8. Chemical Weapons (Seraphim System Remix)
9. Amnesiac (Xentrifuge Remix)

You can order the album now via Bandcamp and find out more over on their Facebook Page.