Artist: Ritualhammer
Country: Finland
Label: Werewolf Records
Formats: LP / CD
Year: 2025
Ritualhammer is the result of a musical collision coming from a couple of Finnish musicians with past and present experience in such bands as Wömit Angel, Nachtgnawer, Licht Des Urteils, Riivaus, Warmoon Lord, Front and a good amount more. Perhaps not the biggest or most appealing Finnish bands, but ‘Grand Pestilential Flame’ proves that this is not necessarily a requirement for achieving a favourable outcome.
This debut album was originally already self-released in digital form in October 2024, but was now picked up by the revered Werewolf Records for a wider release on physical format, again with Hells Headbangers Records taking care of its promotion and distribution. Definitely a step up, and while ‘Grand Pestilential Flame’ will not change anybody’s lives or view on Extreme Metal, it is certainly well deserved.
While most of the individual band member’s experience lies within the confines of Black Metal, Ritualhammer is definitely more of a Death Metal band than anything else. Yet, the Black Metal background is never far away, making ‘Grand Pestilential Flame’ an album that is perhaps one that can be enjoyed by fans of either genre. The peddle-to-the-metal sort of approach with predominantly short tracks, gives the album a very lethal character that harkens back to the Death/Black Metal tradition of like two decades ago. Especially a label like Osmose Production used to have their roster filled to brim with bands that were looking for that perfect tipping point between genres.
Just add a bit of fast-as-hell Thrash Metal to the final mix and you have quite an idea of what Ritualhammer is all about. You can imagine a band like prime Defleshed or mid-era Vomitory cranking out a set of Black Metal set. This has the same relentlessness at its core and the grand barrage of blasting drums and chopping riffs definitely feels alike. Ritualhammer might feel slightly less mean, but if you have enjoyed the latest efforts by bands like Concrete Winds and Abhorration, you definitely could give ‘Grand Pestilential Flame’ a shot as well.
