As Portland, Oregon becomes a hub for death metal similar to the way Florida was back in the day, one of the area's most disturbingly brutal forces, RITUAL NECROMANCY, have resurfaced with, "Disinterred Horror." Released on May 25^th via Dark Descent Records this marks the bands' third release following up 2014s "Void Manifest." Formed in 2009 and rumored on hiatus to spend more time perfecting their craft, "Disinterred Horror", while dripping with carnage and tails of possession from start to apocalyptic end, there isn't much change or offering that sets them significantly apart from things that have been or are currently being done. The most significant change is in the guitar tone. Long gone are the sounds of an old stompbox with bad EQ settings. RITUAL NECROMANCY now joins the ranks of bands who use real gear that give a fuller more matured sound.

Just as most albums begin you have an attempt at a dramatic atmospheric horror movie style into with samples that are either from or mimic The Exorcist. Church bells, moaning and groaning, "the power of Christ" or "our Lord in heaven." I bet it's used for a stage entrance theme to a dark club and the overuse of smoke machines as the band takes their places. This style hasn't been brutal or frightening for 20 years and is overdone lacking any individual creativity or ingenuity. That is how the first 35 seconds of "To Raise the Writhing Shadows" goes. When the band kicks in with a doom-like pace, that tone is just remarkably clear. The vocals are similar to MORTICIAN, meaning they are a toss-up between a really huge black grizzly bear growling or someone breathing over the top of a microphone that has been run through an effects processor. In the seven minutes of this track the direction changes as many times as a labyrinth maze offering a showcase of diverse playing.

The leads sound more like a show off of notes crammed into a small space and not really methodically planned and Incorporated to fit the vibe of the song. There is one riff that does repeat a few times that is very well played and thought out. The rest, however, seemed like it was just pieced together here and there. As I made my way to "Cymbellum Eosphorous", I kept waiting for something to happen. Unfortunately, in the 11 minutes, it was just more of the same. I couldn't determine where one song had ended and another begun. A lot of fills and transitions but never a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. At times the effects on the vocals even overpowered the drums. I understand the echo chamber effect but the volume didn't need to increase with it.

The offering itself isn't bad, the tone and audio quality, aside from vocal effects, are top notch. In fact, that is what kept me listening and not so much focus on the feeling that I was listening to the same one song over and over. While driving it was a delight to be able to literally crank it up and get all the stares of the elderly and watch as they rolled up their windows and locked their doors. The play-ability and talent are there and is made very clear in the transitions, however, more focus needs to be paid to leading riffs and a solid structure. RITUAL NECROMANCY is hands down gut wrenching, skin scraping, eye gouging brutality. It's worth a listen in comparison to the older material and worth keeping tabs for what comes next. It just lacks that special defining moment.