AS PARADISE FALLS formed in Australia in 2014. While working on their debut album, tragedy struck in the form of the unexpected death of guitarist Glen Barrie (R.I.P), who passed away in his sleep. The album was put on hold for a while, but at a benefit for Glen the band caught the attention of Eclipse Records executive Chris Poland. Regrouping with a new vocalist and guitarist, they finished work on the "Digital Ritual" album, featuring Glen's original work on the album and preserving his legacy. The album is presented here in 2017, and contains eleven tracks. Australia is really making a name for itself in the genre of Metal. They literally have some of the best names in the genre and most original bands out there currently. In fact, I would stack them against any other country of your choosing and I would probably win. But, let's forgo that discussion and talk about some highlights on the album from AS PARADISE FALLS.

The title track is a short two-minute intro. There is a very heavy, pulsating rhythm and some electronica that sparkles throughout. It segues into another two-minute track titled "Balance," which is a fast and furious slab of Metal brutality, with incensed vocals and tightly packed instrumentation. There are elements of Deathcore, Metalcore, Technical, and Progressive Metal working together here. "Starblind" is one of two songs that has a bonus "clean edit" version on the album. The difference between the two is pretty subtle to me. The rhythms are punchy and the harsh vocals are the focal point for me. However, the clean harmonized vocals do add some more depth to the track. "The Ultimate Consumer" djents in a storm of sterile guitar and bass strikes, echoed in the percussion. In trying to draw a comparison with other bands that have a similar sound, I fell short, either because I couldn't think of one or I am not familiar enough with the style to know them.

"Glory to the Server" has an Alternative/Nu-Metal sound for me at times. I think it is most notable in the clean vocal chorus, which has a bit of trouble getting into a melody zone that is easily heard. They are really smashing genres together which is never a bad thing, just an interesting approach. "Reborn" is the longest song on the album, at just over four minutes. It opens slowly and cautiously before unleashing fury on your ears in the form of raged vocals and pounding drums and guitars. "Dead Message" is an anger fueled track with punchy rhythms and a brief introspective bridge before a guitar solo. They play around with some riff changes here and there that make the dark sounding track more palatable.

"Captive to the Creation" is the final track. If you fancy being pummeled in the head over and over this track will fulfill your masochism. The album has a whole is an unrelenting attack of Metal. They go hard and fast the entire ride and do not let up. So, the toughness and brutality are there throughout. The finer points for me besides the slick aggressiveness include when the band settles a bit and lets in some ambiance and melody, and the darker passages where they explore a bit. They have a good thing going here and you can hear the energy and the honesty in the album. I would say that this is a band to keep on your radar here with this release.