Two-man metal bands always get some appreciation on my end. Most groups need four or more people to create the level of noise that some of these duos can do with ease. Portugal's Soul of Anubis, a.k.a. Hugo and Rui, create a crushing combo of sludge and progressive metal - two of the loudest and most hectic subgenres out there. They're the first duality I've listened to in a while, so on this New Music Friday, I'll be gladly tackling "Ritual," their third LP.

"Ritual" starts with the self-titled track, showing that SoA has confidence in their project's namesake. Prog and sludge aren't the only styles the band utilizes, as Hugo Ferrao's hardcore vocal delivery brings some -core influence. The muddy, bass-forward playing style is groovy as hell, especially the instrumental segments with fuzzy guitars and galloping drums. My problem is that everything seems monotone. There's little variety in singing or playing throughout the six-minute runtime, which is unusual for prog. Things spice up when Rotten Sound's very own Keijo Niinimaa butts in to assist on "Mind Crusher." The grindcore influences are blatant, as the band boosts their speed and sound. Keijo's added vocals are satisfyingly guttural, compared to Hugo's raspy shouts. "Incantation" begins without any outside influence, so the duo is back to one-note metal. It's heavy, don't get me wrong, but there's little nuance. When you're gifted the holy label of "prog," you're supposed to treat it as a gift and use whatever you can lyrically, instrumentally, or productionally, to break as many boundaries as possible. The next track, "Vermin," sadly ends the first half of the LP on the same note as when it started.

"Death Cult" is the first track with clean singing, and even if it was only a couple lines, it was at least something different. I air-drummed through "God's Burial." It passes the time, especially with an album as tired as "Ritual." "Human Torch" is fiery and punchy like the rest, but I'm too bored to even get close to the fire. "Unholy Tomb," with its classic sludge metal runtime, seals the deal with countless lethargic strikes sent straight to your face. After eight minutes, I'm numb.

I have no problem whatsoever with Soul of Anubis, "Ritual," or anything relating to them at all. They make a shit-ton of noise for a two-man group, and I greatly appreciate it. I just wish that the noise had even the slightest amount of diversity. For future releases, I'd really like to see Soul of Anubis tap deeper into their progressive minds and put forth another brutal album, this time with more variation.