GOSPELHEIM hailing from Manchester, UK were formed in 2019. The Gothic Metal band released their debut full-length album, which has a length of about 38 minutes. The album was recorded by Joe Clayton at No Studio. It was released via German label Prophecy Productions, which has a lot of Gothic, Doom, and Black Metal bands among their current roster. The album starts with powerful guitar riffing and an extended instrumental part led by the guitars, before strong bass lines introduce the verse parts at mid-tempo. "Hope Springs Infernal" is a catchy Gothic Metal track, it is very dynamic and modern in terms of guitars, drumming, and bass play. The vocals are classical Gothic Rock vocals with plenty of vibes of the 80s. During the chorus parts, vocalist Ricardo Calhau has background vocal support by bassist Coco Mengele, which gives the opening track an extra dimension.

"Hope Springs Infernal" is a good way to open the album. "Satan Blues" has a very heavy start with thunderous riffing. It is another mid-tempo track, but with added complexity and twists in rhythm and tempo throughout the track. While the vocals during the opening track included mostly deeper notes, the vocals in "Satan Blues" undergo a tonal shift towards medium and higher notes. The heaviness from the opening sequence is not maintained throughout. The guitars are the leading instruments, however, during the transitions, the bass lines are the focal point of the track. The end of "Satan Blues" fades slowly out with a keyboard part, which transitions seamlessly into "Lux Ephemera", a quiet inter-lude and a contra point to the heavy opening of the album.

"Praise Be" returns to guitar dominated Gothic sound and it is the first song with more melancholic melodies. The tempo of the track is measured during the opening instrumental part and sluggish during the verse parts. The female background vocals play an important role as they intensify the overall mood of the track. While the verse part is powerful with some tight riffing, the choruses bring back the traditional Gothic vibes especially with the guitar riffing and the bass lines. "Praise Be" is the official video release and the YouTube link is given below. One feature of the album is the more or less extended guitar opening and "Into Smithereens" is no exception. However, the track is a bit different compared to most tracks on the album. It is heavier, it is direct, and the drum parts contain a few blast-beats during the verse parts. For the verse parts, the vocal duties are shared, which gives the song a special note. The guitars and the melodies of "Into Smithereens" still have a lot of Gothic vibes, but clearly the song is a bit more experimental.

"Voyeuristic Schism" starts with more melancholic melodies driven by the guitars at mid-tempo. There are subtle twists in rhythm between verse and chorus parts. The guitar riffing is powerful and heavy, and despite the melancholic vibes, "Voyeuristic Schism" is one of the heavier tracks of the album. Highlight of the song is the extended lead guitar solo. For me, "Voyeuristic Schism" is one of the best songs on the album. "Valles Marineres" is another song in a measured tempo, and it is an instrumental. The opening three minutes reminded me on the early 90s period of PARADISE LOST, in particular the guitar riffing and the lead guitars. There is a transition after three minutes towards mid-tempo, and the vibes change a bit towards a heavier sound. During the second half of the track there are a lot of twists in rhythm and tempo, and there are some pretty fast parts with again a few blast-beats included. I felt that "Valles Marineres" is an unusual song in many aspects, but it is refreshing to see that GOSPELHEIM are not afraid to experiment.

The album closes with "The Hall Of The Unconsumed", and it has a slow start with the vocals being present right from the start. It is a mid-tempo track with some twists in rhythm and it contains, besides the Gothic vibes of the guitars, also some heavier parts driven by the blast-beats during the transitions. "The Hall Of The Unconsumed" is perhaps the song which characterizes the sound of GOSPELHEIM best and it is a good way to finish the album.

GOSPELHEIM release a good debut album. It is a Gothic Metal album with a lot of different style and sound elements. It maintains traditional Gothic elements with the guitar sound and the vocals, but it adds also a heavy and more direct sound at times. The melodies are not overly melancholic at all. The album sounds fresh and dynamic, and the influences of other Metal genres gives "Ritual And Repetition" uniqueness. GOSPELHEIM are not afraid to cross boundaries with their sound and that speaks for their songwriting, although a bit of matureness will improve it in the future. The album is well produced. "Ritual And Repetition" is a promising album of a promising band. Fans of Gothic Metal and melodic Metal will surely dig the album and based on their debut album, the future of GOSPELHEIM looks exciting.