After debuting with their self-titled album in 2015, Ritual Kannabis became one of the metal bands to look out for in the scene. However, despite them constantly performing and releasing a few singles across the years, it would take them seven years before releasing a sophomore effort in their second self-titled project, one that displays the group’s roots and where they’re willing to go to explore new sounds. Ritual Kannabis II starts with “Nothing but Dreaming”, a heavy metal and deathcore track that reminds listeners of the band’s potential. Afterwards, “What the Moon Brings” is a mix of hardcore, crossover thrash, and death metal that’ll create mosh pits everywhere. Then “Stalker Among the Stars” serves as another blend of the previous genres as the ensemble further display their Lovecraftian influences through their lyrics. Next “The Burden of Knowledge” features Daniel Figueroa in a death metal song that many millennials and zoomers might identify with as we’re constantly bombarded with knowledge and information that can ultimately create existential crises. The albums first part ends with “Truth as Violence”, a collaboration with Delwin Gonzalez that starts with a slow and melodic guitar solo before delving into a melodic death metal tune that critiques the government and calls for a revolution. The second half of the project starts with “Fourth Dimension”, an exploration of man’s constant questioning what’s beyond our world mixed with Lovecraftian influences encapsulated in a melodic death metal tune that would make Brendon Small proud. Subsequently, “It Came from The Smoke”, a melodic death metal collaboration with Rob Santos that mixes Lovecraftian influences with man’s relationship with violence, murder, death, genocide, and nature. Later, “No Respect for the Conquered” is a mix of death metal and crossover thrash that finds the band taking the point of the view of conquerors to help listeners understand what colonization does to erase communities, histories, and cultures. Finally, “Northern Lights” features Adal Olivera in the project’s longest song as the group mixes elements from all the previously explored genres while studying the relationship between life and death, and how these are ultimately intertwined like the uroboros.
In sum, Ritual Kannabis’ sophomore album reestablishes the band as one to keep an eye on as they deliver a mix of their roots and new sounds while exploring their Lovecraftian influences and current events.
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AuthorFernando E. E. Correa González is the author behind over 30 self-published poetry books. He has been published by literary magazines & journals [Id]entidad, El Vicio del Tintero, Sábanas Magazine, Smaeralit, The Occulum, Tonguas and Hound Magazine. Other than writing, Correa is also the host of FENCast, a podcast dedicated to documenting the Puerto Rican independent art scene. Aside from this, he experiments with filmmaking, photography, drawing, painting, multimedia and transmedia. He currently lives in his native Puerto Rico. Archives
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