ALBUM REVIEW: Rituals Of Power – Misery Index

It’s been five years since the release of their critically acclaimed The Killing Gods album so the pressure is on Maryland death metal juggernaut MISERY INDEX to live up to expectations. The long awaited follow up entitled Rituals Of Power is out now via Season Of Mist, will they continue their rise to dominance?

Universal Untruths instantly hits you with a wall of booming riffs, thumping drums and a doom ridden atmosphere setting the tone for the album. There are no cobwebs to be found and any apprehension is quickly dispelled as the collaborative onslaught of dual vocalists Mark Kloeppel and Jason Netherton quickly make their commanding presence known. Decline And Fall begins to pick up the pace as frenetic bouts of drum work take the centre stage. The combination of breakneck pace and unrelenting riffing will live your head spinning as a melodic solo tears through the overwhelming shroud of darkness. The Choir Invisible maintains the energetic rampage with a barrage of galloping riffs. Each member combines to devastating effect, all having their chance to shine with moments of clinical precision.

Despite New Salem being the single release for this album it certainly never grows tiresome. The riffs are ridiculously catchy, the rhythm is addictive and it’s a shot of pure adrenaline from start to finish. The unleashed grooves will burrow their way inside of your brain with no hope of escape. Hammering The Nails boisterously bursts onto the scene as scathing growls flow over the track. Whether MISERY INDEX are running head first like a bull at red rag or nonchalantly striding along at a more leisurely pace, they always hit that sweet spot. Title track Rituals Of Power ensures the aggression does not waiver with further powerful rounds of crushing riff work which are seamlessly entwined with ominous black metal tinged lead segments.

They Always Come Back throws any level of restraint into the air with a surge of vicious instrumentation. Adam Jarvis must have an extra couple of arms stashed away for recording sessions to be able to effortlessly navigate his way round his kit with such rapid strikes. I Disavow welcomes you with a sea of blast beats and swift riffing pounding what little remains of your ear drums into dust. If respite is what you seek you won’t find it here. Closing track Naysayer goes hell for leather, sprinting towards the finish line with a grindcore injected tempo and the sole purpose of ripping your head off and spitting down your throat. You won’t find a more emphatic finale than this for the remainder of 2019.

MISERY INDEX have returned with an earth shattering bang showing everyone why they shouldn’t be underestimated. It is a testament to their work ethic and will to succeed that after a lengthy period of self doubt and apprehension they still returned with an album the calibre of Rituals Of Power. Every member is in incendiary form and Adam Jarvis mows down every obstacle in his path like an armoured assault vehicle, showcasing some of his best work to date. It’s about time that the quartet received their long overdue recognition for being one of the most consistent bands of the death metal family. It may be slightly premature to consider a potential follow up but hopefully they won’t leave us anxiously waiting in suspense for another five years!

Rating: 9/10

Rituals Of Power is out now via Season of Mist.

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