EP Review: Ritual – Enigma (Self Released)

Formed in early 2017, Ritual are an independent four piece hard rock/metal band from Hertfordshire in the United Kingdom. Their new EP is called ‘Enigma’ and it will be released on May 6th, 2022.

Enigma continues the narrative from the previous EP, ‘Operation Copacabana and the Punch-Drunk Blues’ which reimagined and extrapolated on the song by Barry Manilow. In a very loose way, Enigma continues this story by following the antagonist’s trial, execution and descent to hell following a murderous crime of passion.

Enigma was written by Ritual and began life prior to the pandemic. As a result of the national lockdowns and the imposing restrictions, the band were unable to release it in the manner that was originally intended. Instead, the decision was made to spend the time refining what they already had and the band decided to embellish the songs with guest appearances.

Enigma features the mercurial talents of the iconic Anneke van Giersbergen, dramatic soprano Dianne van Giersbergen, black jazz guru Jørgen Munkeby, jazz harpist Amanda Whiting as well as prog maestro, Devin Townsend.

Every band wants their music to be unique, to capture a moment in a time, to be seen as the turning point and to be remembered for how it made you feel. Few bands can achieve this but with Enigma, Ritual haven’t just achieved it… they’ve surpassed it.

This is an EP that captures a moment in time. When a worldwide issue kept everyone inside and meant a litany of artists were available to add their talents to Ritual’s own. Something that is unlikely, and hopefully, never going to be possible in quite the same way again.

An intro of light but disconcerting melody and eerie vocal work; As Above, So Below tells you that you’re in for an interesting ride with Enigma. A ride that really picks up speed as the riffs come with force on Seven Gates. A track that makes immediate impact thanks to the incredible guest voice of Dianne van Giersbergen. Though, this is a track that is all about groove and in that department, it’s simply unbeatable.

Shining’s Jørgen Munkeby adds his saxophone talents to Murderous Operandi, a track that has a sinister rhythm but in Ritual’s funky and groovy style. A head-banger with electrifying shifts and a consistent catchiness throughout.

It’s time now for arguably the most anthemic track on the EP with Pandemonium. A blast of hard rock, funky groove and metal intensity. It gets the blood pumping, the pulse thumping and the head banging. Not only that, it happens to feature the iconic vocals of Anneke van Giersbergen. You don’t get better guests than her and she adds some welcome melodic touches with her vocals.

Finally, this top-shelf EP wraps up with Walk of Shame, a track that features a ton of guests and most notably, Devin Townsend. An outro that has a jazzy and funky beat, sounding like the end credits of this story. If you don’t know where things were heading; the mix of sax, the screams of the damned and the cell door slamming shut will tell you everything you need to know.

Ritual – Enigma Full Track Listing:

1. As Above, So Below (feat. Caz Khan)
2. Seven Gates (feat. Dianne van Giersbergen)
3. Murderous Operandi (feat. Jørgen Munkeby)
4. Pandemonium (feat. Anneke van Giersbergen & Amanda Whiting)
5. Walk of Shame (feat. Dianne van Giersbergen, Jørgen Munkeby, Amanda Whiting & Devin Townsend)

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