Rituals Show Me the Signs artwork

EP Review: Show Me the Signs by Rituals (Unique Leader Records)

Brendan Fisher 3 min read

Exciting contemporary metallers Rituals will release their hotly anticipated new EP titles Show Me the Signs, out everywhere on the 2nd of September via Unique Leader Records.

The Newcastle-based quartet serve meaty riffs, colossal beats, and mammoth hooks that are destined to fully consume you. Already strongly backed by big names across the industry, Rituals are undeniably poised to climb further. Support for the foursome’s debut EP, Awake, placed the riff merchants on the map with Kerrang, Metal Hammer, Powerplay, HRH Magazine, and more all rallying around offering widespread acclaim and praise. Rituals’’ live reputation is also surging as the northern heavyweights recently supported Skindred and Osiah, and this year the hard-hitters will play a host of UK dates, as well as appearances at Risefest and Dominion Festival.

Pulling from an abundance of influences, Rituals have shaped an intoxicating sound that is wholly absorbing, and utterly enthralling.

Rituals Show Me the Signs line up

Speaking about their sophomore release, Rituals state:

“Show Me The Signs EP is a collective of songs that draw upon all influences within Rituals. This record showcases our fresh vision for Rituals with our new line-up and attitude towards the world. Filled with ambition and drive this is a statement piece of a record.”

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Show Me the Signs is a three track EP with the title track being first up, and already out as a single. A catchy and clean number with a nice guitar tone, plenty of hard hitting riffs and driving melody. The drums are good, the vocals with the additional harmonised backing works wonders. The chorus is a singable and memorable one – it has a lot going for it, despite not being exactly my personal taste. It’s very clean and polished and drips in cross over appeal. This should serve them very well.

Oceans Subside comes next and is way more in line with my personal taste and really showcases creativity and variety. The riffs are banging, the vocals exude power and passion. I love the sombre, spoken tone in the verses with a little almost industrial sounding guitar noise. The chorus is strong, the drums are phenomenal. This is a great song, super catchy, plenty heavy and a real showcase of exceptional song writing and talent within Rituals. Two songs into Show Me the Signs and the variety on offer is pretty amazing.

We close the short EP out with another heavy and catchy number called In Devastation. The drums take things up a notch with riffs that are best described as crushing. The vocals are really showing off the power and aggressive side now in a track that deserves a mosh pit and some serious head banging. Within the heaviness though, Rituals stay supremely catchy with a knack for writing choruses that stick and rhythms that force movement. It closes out an EP that had me unsure after the opener but blown away by the end.

I love that a band can offer enough variety in such a short release. It showcases them so well, showing their ability to write beautiful, clean melodic catchiness but then also that they know how to ramp things up and let their anger and frustrations out. It’s strong EP with Oceans Subside standing out for me as the one not to miss. I can see why they are being championed by so many. Us now too.

Want to hear and see more on Rituals? Check out these live dates below. Why not grab a ticket and show them some love.

September 10th – Risefest, Newcastle

October 6th – Metal Monocle, Leicester

October 7th – Aye Olde Foundry, Dudley

October 8th – The Alma, Bolton

October 9th – The Hive, Rotherham

Grab a pre save, pre order, tickets or some merch at Rituals link tree, here.

Rituals Links

Website – Instagram – Facebook – Spotify – YouTube – Unique Leader Records

Author

  • Owner/Editor/Writer/YouTuber - Heavy Metal and reading, two things I have always loved so they are the two areas you will find most of my reviews. Post apocalyptic is my jam and I always have a book on the go and have for decades now. From a metal perspective, age has softened my inadequacies and I now operate with an open mind, loving many bands from many sub genres but having a particular admiration for the UK underground scene. In my other time, when not focused on Dad duties and work, I try to support the craft beer movement by drinking as much of it as I can and you will also find me out on the streets, walking. I love walking, I love exploring new places and snapping nature photos as I go.

Show Me the Signs by Rituals (Unique Leader Records)
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