There's a definite desire to re-create and revisit the past in an effort to either sort things out or re-experience things. Usually for nostalgic purposes, but sometimes for stylsitic purposes. Then again, there are somethings that fans/listereners/lovers never desire to change. And the kvltists of the black metal scene are purists of the highest order. A blackened leigon that spit death to any and all false black metal. So when something like Ritual Killer comes around there's a sudden rush that brings all these memories back and makes you smile an evil smile.
Or maybe this album sounds too polished for the kvlt. In that case, move along. Ia, ia, Cthulhu fgh'tan.
Ritual Killer is the kind of beast that makes no bones about what it's here to do. When the songs kick on and the band steps up they offer no quarter, no intro, no nothing—they hit the kill switch and keep pace. And it only takes a few minutes and one song to realize that they're that dosage of old school black metal that this…well, like it or not, this is fuckin' punk! And not to mention it features a slew of black metal who's who (and lesser knowns) including Sammy Duet (Goatwhore, ex-Acid Bath, ex-Crowbar), Zak Nolan (ex-Goatwhore), James Harvey (Goatwhore), Jordan Barlow (Psychon Vex), the band offer up their sophomore LP Exterminance ten years after their debut.
Just as the introduction and second paragraphs insist, Ritual Killer offer up a slice of the old. Something that's low on bullshit and high on octane. In a world currently overrun by doom bands trying to stake their claim in misery, Ritual Killer cut the throat and laugh at the bloodshed. When “Bury the Earth, Bury the Sky” kicks on, the goal of the band is clear: there will be no encore, only war. And Ritual Killer needn't wage it for long. The whole of Exterminance only clocks in at under a half hour.
For the stretch, Exterminance is a tribute to the old. It's the kind of album you'd expect to find in the past. The never-ending, blasting drum beat is constantly there, as well as the chainsaw-like guitars. Vocalist Barlow constantly sounds like he's on the cusp of a panic attack, his vocal chords shredding; perhaps in praise of Satan, the lapsing darkness or something more sinister. Whatever, the case, Ritual Killer is that band that one would say isn't for the feint of heart. But what is it then, other than a call back to the past or a blackened love letter? Hell, the band has been around since 1999. Sure there's the Hellhammer influence. Or the “Unholy Trinity”-era Darkthrone vibe that surfaces. But what Exterminance really brings to mind is De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas.
Exterminance truly sees Ritual Killer embracing the Norwegian black metal roots. Sure it's from an American perspective (specifically New Orleans, LA), but it doesn't feel any less genuine. A true sound of madness surfaces here. Barlow's vocals help, perhaps above all, but the punk vibe that the band hold so dear is what keeps them so rooted in the old school black metal scene. Tracks like “Feral Eyes” and “Crippling Beast” will throw your straight back into the early 80s hardcore/punk scene with such tenacity your goddamn neck will snap. In the meantime, yes they do invoke some grindcore comparison (see: “Dogs, Wolves and Carrion Fowl”) but still come off with most steadfast black metal attitude.
Ritual Killer have brought a bestial album in a genre that's bleeding the word “post” from its pours. Exterminance is the kind of album that has appeal to both the casual and kvlt fans. And if the kvlt fans don't like it, it's probably the recording quality. Which may not sound like it was recorded in a tin can, but recorded in a tin can with felt. There's plenty of distortion, ugliness and rawness to be had here. Those that like the old Mayhem and Hellhammer catalogs will find Ritual Killer in lieu with the old school sensibilities. Exterminance certainly obliterates the new school sound and do so with the elegance of a circular saw through the gut.
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