Dangerdog Music Reviews :: © 1999 - 2024 Craig S Hartranft :: All Rights Reserved
No part of this this website, including design and music reviews,
may be reproduced in any form or by any means without
the prior written permission of the publisher.
- New Music Reviews
- |
- Archives
- |
- News
- |
- Submissions
- |
- About
- |
- |
New Music Reviews, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Progressive Rock, Progressive Metal, AOR, Alternative Rock, Alternative Metal
Recent Reviews
November 2024
- Voodoo Circle: Hail To The King
- Lionville: Supernatural
- Starchaser: Into The Great Unkown
- Empires Of Eden: Guardians Of Time
- Lonerider: Down In The Dust
- Seventh Crystal: Entity
- Neal Morse & The Resonance: No Hill For A Climber
- Beardfish: Songs For Beating Hearts
- Impellitteri: War Machine
- Brothers Of Metal: Fimbulvinter
October 2024
- Casandra's Crossing: Garden Of Earthly Delights
- DGM: Endless
- Daytona: Garder la Flamme
- Fate: Reconnect 'N Ignite
- Frost*: Life In The Wires
- Aries Descendant: From The Ashes Of Deceit
- Fans Of The Dark: Video
- Radioactive: Reset
- House Of Lords: Full Tilt Overdrive
- Cleanbreak: We Are The Fire
September 2024
- Sinner's Blood: Dark Horizons
- Serious Black: Rise Of Akhenaton
- Eclipse: Megalomanium II
- SteelCity: Reverence
- Hydra: ReHydrated
- Heartwind: III
- Gabrielle De Val and the Dragonlords: Tiger
- Find Me: Nightbound
- The Nail: The Nail
- Timeless Fairytale: A Story To Tell
- Stryper: When We Were Kings
- Phil Mogg: Moggs Motel
- Pure Reason Revolution: Coming Up To Consciousness
- Jordan Rudess: Permission To Fly
August 2024
- Siege Perilous: Creation's Call EP
- Paralydium: Universe Calls
- Mike Tramp: Songs Of White Lion Vol. II
- Bite The Bullet: Looking For Paradise
- All For Metal: Gods Of Metal (Year Of The Dragon)
- Hammerfall: Avenge The Fallen
- Jim Peterik & World Stage: Roots & Shoots Vol. 2
Ritual Steel: V
Ritual Steel: V
Traditional Heavy Metal
3.5/5.0
Facebook
Pure Steel Records
Words: Craig Hartranft
Added: 23.10.2019 | Released: 25.10.2019
Drummer Martin Zellmer has been a fixture in the German metal underground for better than 25 years, serving many bands in the process. His main band, Ritual Steel, has been around in some shape or form since 2001. The most recent version has been pared down to the trio of John Cason on vocals, Sven Boge on guitars and, of course, Zellmer, of course, on drums. After a six year studio hiatus, Ritual Steel returns with their aptly titled fifth album, V.
Ritual Steel
What you can expect from Ritual Steel is simply traditional heavy metal, following in NWoBHM tradition. Being a band led by a drummer, you'd expect many songs to be advanced by Zellmer's drum work, and you would be right. This is notable in songs such as The Evil Elite, Confrontation On The Frontlines, Civil Unrest, and especially Does Tomorrow Exist, where his drums establish a marching pace before Boge's guitar line rises. But Boge's guitar lines are no second fiddle to the drums. Within Ritual Steel and Kingdom Of Death his sharp riffs both lead and drive the song. Alternatively, for Doomonic Power, guitar and drums pair together to establish the rhythm and groove. Of course, in each song Boge gets to rip into a frenzy of fiery solos. In this mix, John Cason offers traditional, yet slightly pitched, heavy metal vocals.
Essentially, I found Ritual Steel's V to offer solid, but mostly derivative, traditional heavy metal with little surprising moments of novelty. Two listens were enough for this review, but I probably won't spin the album again. Nevertheless, if you like classic and traditional heavy metal, Ritual Steel is definitely worth investigating.
More Dangerdog Music Reviews
Mick Devine: Hear Now
AOR Melodic Rock
4.5/5.0
The last we heard from vocalist and songwriter Mick Devine was the second coming of cult UK AOR melodic rock band, Seven and 2016's Shattered, a phenomenal album ... [ Read More ]
Note: All Amazon advertising in this review first benefits the artist, then Craig Hartranft also receives a residual. Click, and thanks for your support.
The Bottom Line
Essentially, I found Ritual Steel's V to offer solid, but mostly derivative, traditional heavy metal with little to no surprising moments of novelty. Nevertheless, if you like classic and traditional heavy metal, Ritual Steel is definitely worth investigating.
Find A Review
Alphabetical Index
New & Notable
eviewing my archives, I was pleased to find that I have had the privilege to review every Lionville since their self-titled debut in 2011. Formed by Stefano Lionetti, a songwriter, singer and guitarist based in ... [ Read More ]