Whiskey Ritual – “Blow With The Devil” [Album Review]

Immediately upon hearing this album, I realized that Whiskey Ritual is the type of band I NEED to see live. Though my next thought is that I should have hit a show when I was still drinking and doing drugs, which is exactly the kind of vibe that this act communicates. From the vocalist’s booze-soaked yell to the football chanting at the end of “Too Drunk For Love” (or its namesake, for that matter) or song titles like “Speed & Chicks,” this band stays loyal to their namesake. Lemmy would be proud! In fact, this whole album sounds like one long love letter to hardcore punk, black and speed metal, and motorcycle rock.

This is not to say Whiskey Ritual is stuck in a bygone era. There is a tremendously modern sensibility about this album, owing to the relentless mix of blackened hardcore punk, death kvlt metal, and d-beat crust. All of these elements, assuredly messy anywhere else, are perfectly cohesive on this release, guided by a contemporary intertextuality that knows exactly when to pay homage and when to branch out in other directions.

This band hits all the right nerves for me. They’re just fucked up enough to warrant my interest, they’re funny enough to keep me listening, their riffs are rocking enough that they keep my head banging, and throughout it all is a tremendous energy and atmosphere. Overall, this is exactly the kind of album that you go back to, over and over again, for a night of debauchery and partying. Sadly, as someone in recovery, I temper my love for this band with the realization that I could never go to one of their shows. One can’t be part of the ritual if one can’t partake of its essence: that’s something that this band has made painfully clear.

Track Listing:

01. Blow With The Devil
02. My Funeral
03. Too Drunk For Love
04. Satanic Kommando
05. Speed & Chicks
06. A B.I.T.C.H.
07. Mephistopholis
08. Nekro Street Gang
09. Henry Rollins
10. Tank Of Intolerance

Run Time: 41:10
Release Date: November 27, 2015

Check out the album ‘Blow With The Devil’ here.