After their latest EP, "Thy Will Be Done", which I rated at 10 out of ten, I just had to find out how the next full-length album would sound. And thankfully my editors agreed with me, so here I am, reviewing the new KILL RITUAL album with the extensive title of "Kill Star Black Mark Dead Hand Pierced Heart". And I can only say that if there is a band that is like a chameleon, it has to be KILL RITUAL.

The music they produce has a number of vibes. Most prevalent of those is the voice of Chalice Blood, who can sound like the brother of Lips (ANVIL, on "The Whore Of War", a very ANVIL like song) up to being seen as a relative of Geoff Tate and Todd La Torre (ex and current QUEENSRŸCHE vocalists). The instrumentalists easily adapt to how the song is sung, or is it the other way around. It really doesn't matter how these guys have made it all fit, it just does.

The Power Metal that KILL RITUAL is displaying on a song like "Knives" is borderline Speed Metal as well, and again, without any problem the song is made to fit like the proverbial condom. Even when they start really quiet, like on "I Am The Night", they have it all covered. It makes the transition into the heavier part that follows seem so effortless that it really is scary. This song actually is US Metal to the letter, or should I say note. This is also where the QUEENSRŸCHE connection starts to raise its beautiful head.

You might have noticed that I haven't mentioned the MERCYFUL FATE resemblance that KILL RITUAL going on during their latest EP "Thy Will Be Done", and that is because it's not a clear cut as it was. KILL RITUAL are widening their horizons and using other influences of the last forty years. And it works. Will I be rating "Kill Star Black Mark Dead Hand Pierced Heart" with a ten as well, then? Well, no, I won't. Not because this isn't good, but because the music on this album takes time to settle itself into your brain, needs time to evolve from okay to good and hopefully even further.

You have slower songs, faster tunes, heavy pieces and very thoughtful passages coming at you from left to right, and that will always take time to digest in a proper way. I have the feeling that the more I listen to "Kill Star Black Mark Dead Hand Pierced Heart", the better I am going to like it. It's like a diamond taking shape. So, now you know why it hasn't reached my top rating (yet).