Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
It has been a matter of mere months since the extreme metal entity DARK RITES issued their self-titled album, back in August of this year.
Now, the trio of Wojtek Widuch (Guitars, Bass), Randy Kaciak (Drums), and Oskar Åsfjäll (Vocals), returns with a new full-length outing, ‘Welcome To Eternity‘. What does an eternity with DARK RITES sound like, you ask? Well, this latest period with the band finds them honing the fundamental elements of thrash, metalcore, and classic heavy metal into the cohesively fluid sonic dissemination contained within these twelve tracks.
With stunning technicality and explosive aggression, songs like the lead-in title track, “Welcome To Eternity“, “Marionette“, or “No Longer Moving Forward” are unrelenting. Driven by razor-sharp riffs, intense rhythms, and magnificent drumming escapades, this metal is molten and vicious. Then, there are the vocals, which are undeniably one of the band’s finest strong points, always caustically astringent and flawless despite their harsh styling.
Some of the album’s stand out selections are numbers imbued with ample grooves, derived from their slicing guitars and propelled by the insane drumming backing them. Cuts like “Soar Alba Gu Brath” are just so damned incendiary, derived from a masterful blend of scathing thrash and death metal that consumes all within its path.
Other electrifying assaults arrive in the form of “Starving For Violence“, complete with intermittent blast beats and solid guitar solo, or the thunderously chugging “Ants“. Then there is the album-closing “Outcast“, an unholy deluge of alternating intensities regulated by penetrating riffs and bolstered with its seemingly inhuman drumming.
Once again, DARK RITES deliver the goods as only they can with the abrasive and cutting ‘Welcome To Eternity‘ album. It is a remarkable feat for a trio of ultra-talented musicians that dwell on different continents yet ultimately, a fine example of modern metal that surges with a momentum most can only dream of. Experience it now via the stream provided in this review or direct yourself to Bandcamp for further streaming and purchase options [HERE].
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