Ritual

Personnel: Trevor Strnad (vocals); Brian Eschbach, Ryan Knight (guitar); John-Paul Norpoth, Jannina Norpoth (strings); Shannon Lucas (drums).Audio Mixers: Jason Suecof; Mark Lewis .Recording information: Audio Hammer Studios; Regal Fecal Studios, Ferndale, MI; Rustbelt Studios, Royal Oaks, MI; TBDM's Practice Space, Warren, MI.Photographer: Valnoir.Rising above the predictable black din of contemporary death metal can be a formidable task, but Michigan-based melodic death rockers the Black Dahlia Murder manage to do just that on their fifth studio album, the relentless and rewarding Ritual. Employing a lethal mix of old-school American thrash, Scandinavian black metal, Carcass-era grindcore, and classic dual-lead power metal, Ritual roars in like a runaway train and leaves the listener in pieces. Stand-out cuts like "Moonlight Equilibrium," "The Window," "Carbonized in Cruciform," and "Blood in the Ink" may borrow cues from like-minded outfits such as Protest the Hero, Unearth, and At