Ritual King - The Infinite Mirror

2023-11-15 08:00:15

Publish a few days before the first lockdown Ritual King their first album – a strange and rousing batch of stoner psych that caught fire immediately and was forced to play behind closed doors. However, the trio, which emerged from Manchester’s underground musical scene, was not at all impressed by this and instead tried to expand their own sound. That’s exactly what will happen „The Infinite Mirror“ now made tangible in an exciting way.

The final title song impressively illustrates what this expansion looks like. The fact that “The Infinite Mirror” at nine and a half minutes is not even the longest cut of this second film speaks for itself. Ritual King take all the time in the world to live out their penchant for psychedelic subtlety, staying for minutes in a precise, leisurely structure that allows for herbaceous to folky undertones. When it finally gets louder and harder, the result is an oppressive stoner anthem bordering on rock and metal, close to classic 70s feats of strength, and yet with its own wonderful desert note.

The similarly long opener “Flow State”, on the other hand, works towards heaviness. A riff reminiscent of The Sword develops into another psychedelic rocker that sits comfortably between chairs, powerfully moving forward at the right moment and celebrating its expansive solo part. Another break, some folk and a booming finale come together. At a proud twelve minutes, “Tethered” represents the proggy mammoth, repeatedly dismantling itself, tumbling down dark slopes and unleashing massive walls of guitars. The fact that there is no hint of boredom in this interplay speaks for the British.

Concentrated emotional exhaustion characterizes this album, which skillfully expands on the stoner psych approach and gives the madness a proper stage. “The Infinite Mirror” actually ventures even further, in just about every way imaginable. More instrumental soundscapes, folky nuances, but also eruptions of pure heaviness accompany the action. Ritual King loses itself repeatedly in this fascinating second novel and takes you on a fascinating journey that reveals new, exciting facets with each run.

Rating: 8/10

Available from: November 17, 2023
Available via: Ripple Music

Website: ritualking.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ritualking