Ritu

Symphonic black metal can be awful, but Ritu is an example of how to execute it with style and (dare I say?) sophistication. It is impressive how much depth and intrigue is squeezed from well-worn elements.Saille is a six piece band, and while I wouldn’t normally comment on that fact, in this case it shows. While this is certainly an ‘orthodox’ album, there’s also a lot going on- different instrumental textures, different compositional ideas, different kinds of hook. The sound generally takes a melodic approach to black metal in which synths are used frequently but (usually) subtly to highlight the guitar parts. In this sense, there’s a clear influence from early Emperor and perhaps also from their stalwart countrymen, Enthroned. But the songs can be varied and complex, with a surprising number of different layers. Subcutaneous Terror, for example, uses faint flourishes of pizzicato strings not as a bolt-on, but in a way that intertwines and feeds into the climactic lead guitar lines. Upon the Idol of Crona uses organ sounds to add a creepy abandoned fairground ambiance.There are also some tracks here which are quite striking. Drawing inspiration from Lovecraft is par for the course, but Fhtagn uses the inspiration of the swamp-dwelling Cthulhu cult to build a tense and sinister song based around slow, tribal drumming, and culminating in a freaky, chanting invocation (Ia! Ia!). Sati is imperious, making highly effective use of slow tempos and multi-layered lead guitar harmonies to emulate the more funereal branches of melodeath. Its woebegone melodies are powerful, but the random scream which punctuates the track also hints at a sense of sinister whimsy. And, on Haunter of the Dark, a pleasingly creepy repeated synth riff takes the lead in building up to a monumental climax. Not much else to say here- this is convincing, expertly constructed black metal.