Nomadic Rituals - Tides
Nomadic Rituals have brought out a tightly assembled album that shows an increasing maturity in confidence to explore their sound. The album preserves the corrosive edge brought about by their harsh vocals, and the sparse use of samples and synths provide an increased depth to the album and its tone. Tides is a great start to the year, and benefits from repeated listening.
Listeners could be forgiven for being briefly confused as this album kicks off; there's some versatility on show with about three minutes of pleasant almost post-rock grooves that have a bit of a feel of Pidgn and Conjurer's Curse these Metal Hands. This doesn't last too long; after you've been lulled into a mild post-rock state of relaxation, the band snaps into focus and hits you on the head with a wall of bass.
From there things progress more as expected, with harsh leading vocals that push a pleasant edge to the sludgy doom. The vocals might seem ill-suited if you're unfamiliar with the band, but they're a great counterbalance to the ocean of bass on hand. Acoustic / post-rock elements get worked in elsewhere in the album, keeping things from devolving into a single wall of doom; an important pacing element. These ebbs and flows in the pacing and tone pull together a hypnotic musical journey for the listener to get drawn into.
Interesting to hear some unexpected influences on display; the track Cassini-Huygens Pt. 2 (Last Transmission) has some periods where you could easily think you've stumbled on an unexpected Godflesh collab, but with Nomadic Rituals adding some range via their dual vocals that provide a range and layering not normally found in that bands discography. The more versatile drumming also differentiates them; if you enjoy bands doing a bit of exploration in their sounds rather than fixing themselves in a single 'doom' lane, there's things to be appreciated here beyond the doom fundamentals. Let's be clear though, the underlying doom and sludge are great, and if that's what your after this album should be appreciated.
Listening to the band's discography end to end helps illustrate how Nomadic Rituals have reached this point; they've had a steady journey from an utterly filthy first EP D.F.W.G. that set a stake in the ground through to this current album, which seems to have found that charmed space between early filth and the overly clean sound a doom band can encounter if their producer doesn't exactly get what doom is meant to deliver. This has been accompanied by a growing confidence that's allowed the wider range on display in this album.
All in all, a great performance from a band that isn't new, but which doesn't seem to have had the attention they might deserve. Hopefully that changes with this album - they deserve it, and you should give it a listen.
Nomadic Ritual's Bandcamp
Craig Carson - Bass Guitar / Vocals
Peter Hunter - Baritone Guitar / Vocals / Synth
Mark Smyth - Drums / Percussion
Recorded & Mixed by Niall Doran at Start Together Studio (Belfast, Northern Ireland)
Mastered by Brad Boatright at Audioseige (Portland, Oregon, USA)
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