Ritual Servant: Albus Mendacius | Lessons Of Violence Approved
(2023 – Roxx Records)
Thrash Metal has its history, and Ritual Servant has taken it upon themselves to learn all the best and most virulent elements the genre has to offer, drawing heavily from old-school sources—specifically from the Bay Area, which is ultimately where the style flourished most in the bygone and unforgettable days of the ’80s.
But Ritual Servant isn’t just about a simple evocation of a thrash-filled past; rather, their aim is to restore the genre to the splendor it once had. With a modern sound and every influence you can imagine—Testament, Exodus, Anthrax, Slayer, Metallica, and the list goes on. There’s a little bit of everything and more. All wrapped up in an excellent release that’s truly worth discovering.
It’s true, it took us (quite a while) to get our hands on “Albus Mendacius” in physical format—specifically on CD—but honestly, we don’t regret this search one bit. It’s truly worth it, and it was worth the effort to get it.
“Albus Mendacius” isn’t one of those albums that just plods along at a steady pace the whole time. No, Ritual Servant knows how to pace themselves and when to pick up the tempo—and when to shift gears. The result is a truly diverse, entertaining, and above all, accessible album that has us reaching for “Albus Mendacius” time and time again. The guitars soar in an incredible way and are largely responsible for Ritual Servant’s sound, which never loses its intensity.
The intense riff of “Whitewashed Tombs,” the album’s opening track, signals that we’re in for something good. At a moderate pace but with determination, Ritual Servant takes us through rough terrain, in a short and direct style, with no half-measures. Without giving us a moment’s respite, “Two Masters” appears—a true shredder whose sheer fury is capable of winning over any old-school thrasher.
And this is just the beginning; “Hearers And Doers” also has its own appeal. With intricate rhythms and enough speed to blow wigs off, Ritual Servant draws on all the elements that define thrash to deliver something interesting—and with good taste, too. “Lazarus” is tight, pounding, and at times galloping. All of that in the same song, with a beautiful guitar solo thrown in.
A long classical guitar intro featuring pure strumming welcomes us to a driving, powerful “40 Years,” another display of power from Ritual Servant, and perhaps one of the highlights of “Albus Mendacius,” an album with countless highlights to its credit. Tremendous guitar work, firing at you from every angle and flooding you with strumming, pounding, riffs, and solos wherever you listen.
With a galloping rhythm and fury at every moment, “Death And Life” forges its way forward, and then “Into The Swine” makes its appearance, featuring an interesting rhythm and chorus—one that never lets up in intensity, it must be said.
Toward the end of “Albus Mendacium,” we have something of a double track. On one hand, we have “Anima Christi,” a sort of prayer proclaimed at a moderate pace that opens the door to that relentless thrash march that is “Revelation 3:16,” in which that biblical verse is simply recited over and over again in a pure scream, accompanied by an interesting mid-tempo instrumental section and a guitar arrangement that provides the appropriate framework and atmosphere, bringing to a close a short, direct, and simply intense album.
The thing is, “Albus Mendacium” feels like a synthesis of Thrash Metal, featuring the elements that define the genre, but rendered by Ritual Servant in their own unique way, delivering a masterclass in how this music should sound. But that’s not all—there are also the songs, which never grow tiresome and convey a sense of versatility and variety within the atmosphere the band creates.
As I mentioned at the beginning, the guitars play a major role in all of this. On “Albus Mendacium,” we’ll hear a lot of great guitar work in that regard; they form the foundation and heart of every composition. The foundation is solid, hard, and raw, but ultimately, the arrangements, riffs, and solos give each song on the album a masterful feel. And all of this with just three guys—or rather, four. Yes, two guitars, vocals, drums, and bass played by session musician Brian McKenzie. Nothing more, and nothing less.
The sound also plays a major role in the album’s greatness. The production and mixing set aside the clichés that have been overused in recent times, opting instead for a more classic, natural, and raw sound, in the best tradition of Old School Thrash Metal. Furthermore, I think they achieved a good balance between the different guitar sounds, which blend together perfectly, and the foundation that frames each track on the album, which sounds impeccable.
Ritual Servant has known how to blend each of its influences and put them to work on an album that never falters, handling different tempos in each case without resorting to the obvious—throwing in lightning-fast licks every other minute or the usual blast beat. On the contrary, the band sets its own pace in every track, and that undoubtedly results in an excellent album.
The cover art is undoubtedly brilliant. It’s one of those illustrations that really catches the eye and could even elevate the album to classic status, but it’s also fair to say that the inner sleeve—in addition to featuring a simple design that complements the atmosphere Ritual Servant creates—includes the lyrics, a photo of the band, and is of excellent quality. It’s truly worth owning the physical edition of “Albus Mendacium” since not only is the album great, but so is its physical release. And it’s also worth mentioning that this album wasn’t just released on CD, but also on vinyl, so there’s another reason to get it in physical format.
Basically, Ritual Servant is on the right track, having created a great album in “Albus Mendacium,” full of intensity and ferocity, leaving the Thrash Metal genre in a strong position and with high expectations for the future.
The band also released a music video for the track “Lazarus,” which you can watch below, and of course, we’ve included the links to find and follow Ritual Servant on social media and stay updated on their latest news…
https://www.facebook.com/ritualservant
https://www.instagram.com/ritualservant
