PALE HORSE RITUAL is a Stoner Doom band hailing from Ontario, Canada. This is the band's debut full-length album, and it has seven songs. "Deflowered" is first. It opens with a super low, slow, and fuzzy riff, and is reminiscent of BLACK SABBATH to me. They find a thick, groovy riff, and they lay on it for what seems like days, even weeks, and there are heavy doses of wah- wah in the lead breaks. "Wickedness" has a riff that moves a little faster, and there are some psychedelic moments also. Speaking of BLACK SABBATH, the first climbs of the vocals are nearly identical to the pattern in "Iron Man." "Anti-God" has a riff that seems to have an expansive ring that never ends…and the strings reverberate with a sound that could raise the dead. The message of anti-Christianity is received as well.

"Save You" is a shorter song, consisting of clean guitar and vocals, as well as some underlying tension. "Wish I could be there to save you…the voices in your head," he quips. "Bloody Demon" roars back to the weighted sound with a vengeance. It has a deep groove, plenty of fuzz and distortion, and more wah-wah in the lead breaks. "D.E.D." begins with curious clean guitar notes that are thick with a psychedelic reverb. The song eases in from there, with light drumming, more guitars, and then bass. The harsh vocals have a snarl to them…a bite…that is dangerous. "A Beautiful End" closes the album, and it has a four-step, descending riff that crawls into a hole deep in the earth.

If you're going to model your sound around the Godfathers of Metal, BLACK SABBATH, that's a good choice. Unfortunately, that sound was popular 55 years ago. Although some bands are indeed timeless, I would have liked to have heard more of this band's individual personality in their music. The world just doesn't need another BLACK SABBATH clone.