STARLIGHT RITUAL is a Canadian band from Montreal. The band was founded in 2014 and since then they have produced one album before this one. That debut ]was called "Sealed In Starlight" and was released in 2021. Now, just over four years have passed and the band is showing its face for the second time with "Rogue Angels". It was actually released back in October 2025, so this review by METAL TEMPLE is long overdue. As I understand, the band has changed the musical direction a bit since the debut album. Apparently "Sealed In Starlight" was filled with music that was very much a mix between Doom Metal and Heavy Metal. Well, let me say that the former of those two is rarely apparent on "Rogue Angels". Is that a bad thing? Well, not necessarily, but I'll get to that.

What I need to tell you first is that if you've just listened to an album that has a very crisp and clear production you might want to wait before delving into this STARLIGHT RITUAL experience. The sound on "Rogue Angels" is a bit dull, a bit meagre if you ask me. But what does happen during listening is that in due time you find that although that might be the case, the way the band and producer have decided to go does work on "Rogue Angels". The reason for that is that STARLIGHT RITUAL definitely has two feet back in the early eighties, without trying to sound like a NWOBHM band, so a comparable sound doesn't actually hurt.

The vocals have surprised me. At times Damian Ritual sounds a lot like the late Paul Di'Anno, mainly due to him having the same kind of vibrato, but also because on some songs the vocal lines sound as if they could have straight out the deceased frontman's pen. But when he goes shrill and high he has a bit of Dave Mustaine in his voice as well. Most of the time though he just sounds like himself, and that is more than good enough for the music that you hear on "Rogue Angels". Here you will find nothing that is new or contemporary. Nope, what STARLIGHT RITUAL gives to us is as old (or older) than many a reader of our reviews and/or listeners that visit the METAL TEMPLE site. And there is nothing wrong with that, if the music is good. And there you have it; it is. Oh, and as i haven't mentioned it at all, the Doom Metal references are not being missed at all. This is good enough as it is.