In 2003, Misery Index unleashed their first LP Retaliate, to exceptional reviews and followed by several line-up changes and four other albums. A string of shows and festivals around the globe followed each album. Jason Netherton (vocals, bass) is the only founding member left, but Adam Jarvis (drums) and Mark Kloeppel (guitar) have been on the band since the second album. And finally Darrin Morris has been playing the guitars since 2010. Misery Index makes death metal with strong hardcore punk and grindcore influences.
Five years after The Killing Gods, with Rituals of Power, Misery Index are back. This is my first time listening to them, so I have no expectations or pre-concepts of what they should sound like. By chance, the previous reviews this year were not from extreme genres of metal. So I must say it feels good and refreshing to listen to these nine crushing tracks. It's hard hitting brutality non-stop for 36 minutes. The short "Universal Untruths" opens the album but it doesn't represent the whole album, it serves as a full song at slow tempo intro. It works well and better than a choice for a generic instrumental track. The vocals here remind me of At The Gates which is always a good thing. It all changes with "Decline And Fall" drum fill followed by the guitar riff which showcases the speed and aggressiveness that is coming our way for the rest of the record. Fortunately, it's not a dull one-speed, same thing for 30 minutes. Jason and co. added elements of different branches of death metal and tempo changes that make Rituals of Power a diverse and dynamic death metal record. The third track is a great example, "The Choir Invisible" kicks off with an amazing instrumental intro, the drums working wonders here. I like how the verse and chorus are melodic slower tempo but the bridge is pure aggressiveness. Not to mention the The Black Dahlia Murder-ish guitar solo (it's so good that it could be longer). The single "New Salem" monstrous up tempo riffs and angry raw energy displays the best side of Misery Index. "Hammering The Nails" is pure headbanging groovy extravaganza, my personal favorite. The title track and longest song showcases variability and some progressiveness in their sound. "They Always Come Back" is a bit too long and not my favorite. "I Disavow" speed is a mosh pit soundtrack that turns into a groovy fist pumping end. Interestingly it has a surprising Maiden-like twin guitar at the mid instrumental section, very subtle but cool. The shortest song "Naysayer" closes the album with the best display of grindcore influences in this album.
Rituals of Power is not a game changer but it's a very effective and dynamic death metal record. Overall it brings less core elements and more classic death metal with lots of grooves and killer riffs. The guitar work and drumming shine. The mid frequency and aggressive vocals are effective while allowing us to follow the lyrics. The combination of grooves and aggressiveness makes it a perfect record to be performed live this summer. It's pure headbanging. The record length is another advantage, it grabs your attention from beginning to end and it does not waste time with fillers. The only minor complain is that the album is a bit front loaded, the last three tracks while good are not as good as the earlier ones. It's certainly one of the best extreme metal records of the year so far.
SCORE: 81/100
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