Article By: Pat ‘Riot’ Whitaker ‡ Edited By: Leanne Ridgeway
RITUAL DICTATES is the name adopted by former 3 Inches Of Blood bandmates guitarist / vocalist Justin Hagberg and drummer Ash Pearson (currently in Revocation).
The duo unveils details of their new musical union, and they will release their first full-length offering, ‘Give In To Despair‘, through Artoffact Records on April 3rd. Recorded in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, and mixed by Jesse Gander (Bison, Anciients, Japandroids) and mastered by Jason Corbett (Actors), ‘Give In To Despair‘ is contemporary heavy metal with an eclectic array of elements and influences.
The duo is not alone infusing a wide range of styles, including black metal, grindcore, death metal, and classic rock, into something all their own, they do have help along the way. Guest musicians contributing to the album include Danko Jones, Shawn Haché (Mitochondrion, Auroch, Night Profound), and Shane Clark (ex-Bison, 3 Inches Of Blood). Today, you can hear “Given To Despair“, a track from the upcoming release, one addressed by Justin Hagberg, who comments:
“The lyric video for ‘Given To Despair’ was made by Toronto musician and designer Nick Sewell, who hit the nail on the head with our ‘aged, dusty and primitive karaoke video’ idea. The artwork for the Given To Despair EP cover was done by Vancouver artist Megan Richter. It is the twelfth illustration in her ‘Megel” series inspired by the late American pop artist Patrick Nagel. The cover layout was designed by Rheanna Fancypants of Vancouver, who also designed the Ritual Dictates logo and sigil.”
The song is presented below in lyric video format, along with the album details, and audio format – with another song, “Terror Of Time (The Hours Of Folly Part 2)“. ‘Give In To Despair‘ from RITUAL DICTATES will arrive April 3rd from Artoffact Records and is available in CD and Digital formats, and limited edition purple vinyl LP; pre-order [HERE].
Tracklist:
01. It’s About Goddamn Time (The Hours Of Folly Part One)
02. Dominance And Will
03. Given To Despair
04. Obsolete Instinct
05. Last Phase Of Life
06. Poisonous Proclamation
07. Aperiam In Porta
08. Extinction
09. Indivisible Mind
10. What Cannot Be Altered Must Be Endured
11. Terror Of Time (The Hours Of Folly Part 2)