EP Review: Wormwitch / Sadistic Ritual - Split
Reviewed by Matthew Williams
This is definitely an interesting little split EP between Vancouver’s Wormwitch and Atlanta’s Sadistic Ritual. There are 6 tracks in total, 3 new songs each and allow both bands to showcase their boundary pushing take on blackened and progressive thrash metal.
First up is the trio of songs from Wormwitch, who begin with “Weapons Against Despair” and it’s a proper filthy, dirty, gritty song which sets the tone as it is feral, aggressive and has some new speed to add to their unique sound. The songs were all recorded in the summer of 2022 and the band have been champing at the bit to get them released.
With drummer Israel Langlais leading the charge on next track “Rayonnet Banners” it allows vocalist and bassist Robin Harris to lock horns with Colby Hink on guitars to create another ferocious song which rips along at an incredible speed. The melody is clearly audible and shows that years of touring with likes of Suffocation, Necort and Uada, has meant that they have refined their craft even further and developed into one hell of a band.
The finish their section off with a bit of feedback leading into a frantic guitar opening for “Spells of Tartarus” and with a guttural roar reminiscent of an angry lion, Harris begins another verbal assault on your senses. Across the 6 and half minutes, they push the limits further and allows all band members to choose their individual talents, with the riff halfway through from Hink, an absolute gem.
As we wave goodbye to Wormwitch, we say hello to psychedelic thrash outfit Sadistic Ritual, who explode onto the record with the brilliant “Obscurity’s Stare” you can almost feel the venom dripping from the vocals of guitarist Charlie Southern, as they deliver classic thrash licks in spades, with another head banging classic.
“The Recusant” is a full on explosive track, about Big Brother always watching and their perverse obsession with our lives, and the imprisonment of civilians who cannot afford their own immunity to jail unlike the sleazy politicians/criminals who control our day-t-day lives. It’s an excellent piece of social commentary and you can feel the anger coming through the music.
They round up their half with “Reminiscence Unrealized” with a lead guitar that tingles and salivates before all hell is let loose, with thundering drums from Joe Sweat and more venomous vocals. This track feels more structured and balanced that the other two but it only heightens the anticipation for what is yet to come from the 4 piece as they offer darker acid infused ripping thrash and push the boundaries of the genre to new reals of madness.
