Ritual Genocide are a pretty young (formed in 2013) three-piece (drummer Immolater, vocalist / bassist S19 and guitar player Hydra73) from Reno, Nevada, sharing members with Blasphemous Creation and Terroreactor. In 2015 they had a split with Phosphore Blanc (Invidious Allegiance; two tracks on this EP, by the way, did appear on that split), and now we can enjoy their first six-track mini-album, Commencement Towards Annihilation. It was released on CD in February 2016 via The True Plague and Black Plague Records, and there seems to be a limited cassette edition as well, done via Inhuman Assault Productions.
Commencement Towards Annihilation stands for twenty minutes of harsh, violent and thrashing Black Metal with a mostly blaspheme and hateful attitude. The trio plays fast and primitively-grinding Black Terror Metal with a fine-tuned equilibrium in between blasting speed and proto-melodies. It comes with dual vocals, being sharp sore-throated screams at the one hand, and dry, deep growling grunts at the other. And indeed, such vocal play fits quasi perfectly to the essence of this specific approach. Once in a while, there are subtle moments of epic (cf. the opening tunes of a piece like Anti Filth Campaign), then again it destroys like a tsunami of sulphuric fire. There might be a lack of renewing aspects, but I do not think that any purist amongst us will complain about that. The essence is the old school of bestial and barbaric Black Violence, brought forth with a mostly diabolical attitude – cf. the spirit of the old styled supremacy à la the glorious Eighties. The energy is overwhelming, and so is the brutality of the atmosphere – isn’t that what it’s all about when focusing on this specific approach? Indeed, I thought so…
Sound-wise I am not totally satisfied, unfortunately. But once again: ‘real’ Black Metal is allergic to a clinical production! But I am afraid the final mix lacks of a necessary equilibrium in between the different elements; the guitar and bass melodies, for example, sometimes fade away into a mishmash of noise. But eventually it does not really annoy me (but as an honest reviewer I have to mention this). It’s the result that counts, going for song writing and performance. And believe me: if you like your meat still being bloody-red on your plate, then you will adore this six-tracker while devouring that piece of raw flesh…