Cult Ritual - LP 1

Cop-out reviews are finally outsourced. This is the third and final installment of "Steve Re-Posting Old Shit" - from now on the reviews will either be fresh from the noodle or... stolen from other blogs. So probably only the first part. This is a pretty lazy one, though, and definitely doesn't do this incredible album justice, but whatever. Just try to multiply all praise by 2 or 3 to understand how awesome it is. Or listen to it, I guess. I don't know.

"Approaching this album was a little intimidating, as up until this point, Cult Ritual have kept their trifecta of top notch releases below the 10 minute mark. The release of a full length - especially regarding hardcore - typically reveals whether or not the band in question is capable of bearing close to their roots without turning into an interminable bore. For a recent example, see Bone Awl's Meaningless Leaning Mess - an album full of quality songs, but bogged down by a running time too great for the number of ideas presented. Fortunately, Cult Ritual can handle an LP's length and then some, as their 4th self titled disc is easily their greatest and most infatuating work so far. Armed with a crusty, warm, production sound and a slew of great riffs, these guys offer up a platter of U.S. style noise melded with scathing hardcore punk, fragments of melody, sound samples, a 3 minute exercise in minimalist drumming, intelligent lyrics, crushing sludge, and enough variation from track to track to lead me to believe these guys could tackle a double LP with little fatigue. Yes, these guys are hyped to shit, but they really are as great as you've heard."
Get it here.
And I'd tell you to buy it here, but apparently it went OOP already. Woops.

I should've also said: "these guys offer up a platter of scathing hardcore punk melded with U.S. style noise". Also, despite existing for such a short period of time, this album is so OOP it's reached absurd prices on ebay... like in the 150 range. God dammit, Youth Attack Records, repress this shit already so the little elitist circles who own this epic can dissipate in the waves of time.

I guess they're not really "elitist" for owning this. They just got there in time.

Still, fuck those guys.