Unchanged by the cruelty that’d carved each visage yet paling beneath the mould-choked greyness of time regardless we find France/United States-based black metal trio DESTRUCTION RITUAL channeling both ancient and revived traits in brewing their own sulphureous concoct for this debut full-length album. Through both bludgeon and diabolic wiles ‘Providence‘ depicts decaying environ as much as it does the trials that’d dissolve personage from within, coaxing equally defiant and bug-eyed mulling from these ocean split actors. The work which results carries its dualities with equal heft, making for a dynamically realized yet coldly stabbed event sure to stoke the minds of folks dedicated to either side of the abysm represented.

Destruction Ritual formed as a trio circa plague year MMXX between folks best known for their hand in orthodox black metal as well as various shades of black/death metal including guitarist, bassist, keyboardist TerrorReign (Impure Ziggurat, Necroblood) and vocalist MkM (Antaeus, ex-Aosoth). I’ve no real information on additional guitarist Arafel but I can assume session drums from Blastum refers to the fellowe currently providing the spine of Merrimack and Ritualization. Their collective purpose appears to plant itself within relatively pure black metal adherence at least within the context of their own rawly bent use of early second wave characterizations as foundation. Their demo tape (‘Destruction Ritual‘, 2021) fully developed expectations for this debut LP in that groove-built movements at mid-pace carry the experience while bursts of violent battery retain an extreme thumping hand to correct away some of their swinging momentum.

If you took one look at the band’s name and figured it was in reference to Krieg‘s second album I wouldn’t say you’ll find outright structural inspiration taken from that era via very different use of tempo but the inclusion of samples on Destruction Ritual‘s demo and “Decaying Mask of Remorse” (plus parts of “Closure”) on this LP do seem to take some smaller cues from a bygone era of USBM. Their work is less patiently resolved otherwise wherein the main melodic voicing applied comes via lead guitars and typically in slithering upheaval, the first flitting tendrils arisen in the final minute of opener/title track “Providence” and extended into the crux of standout piece “Pride & Corrupted Dreams.” The latter song is probably the most idealized combination of the trio’s energies while also highlighting the skill of Blastum as an asset to the whole of the experience, particularly on the more active shorter ~5-6 minute pieces that make up Side A.

While I’d been on board with ‘Providence‘ at face value, likening some of their choices to BST‘s Sotherion in some respects, I don’t think this album fully gripped my throat and tore at it ’til the festering, slow burnt wounding of “Gone Days of Splendor” truly convinced. The prominence allowed for the droning bassline, the atmospheric hiss of MkM‘s vocals, and rope-hanging morbidity of their collective doom all bring together a truly detached and vile atmospheric space which I’d found the superior point of impact on the album. That said Side B sports some longer, far more active pieces which impress for their summing of the dynamic impact of the full listen into longer-form pieces. “Washed Away Sins” notably has no less of a fetid ache to its slower portions beyond “Gone Days of Splendor” but most of its eight plus minute stretch is spent developing a whipping and thrashing pulsation at a higher tempo than most of the full listen deploys.

The major appeal of ‘Providence‘ is generally found within its ‘old school’ black metal informed swaying havoc outright but it isn’t a linear pathway front-to-back as the full listen offers a well-developed tract beyond classicist tropes under superheated forge. Where Destruction Ritual carry a first impression into some greater infamy comes via the lack of naïve qualities given to those auld grooves and harshly ringing sounds. It should be obviate enough who’d readily brought their long-built signature hands-first into this project and demented a fairly simple cross-pollinated ideation. Beyond that point they’ve done a fine job curating the result between a cold, menacing render (assumedly from BST) and the wyrd sisters, perhaps followers of Hecate found within the always impressive Benjamin Vierling‘s cover art… all of it amounting to a memorably stylized black metal release which does well not to overcomplicate the matter at hand. A high recommendation.

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