Misery Index's Rituals of Power will pummel you to the ground! (Review)

Misery Index…one of the coolest band names ever! Lest we forget that this band was named after Assuck’s final self-titled album released in 1997.  That aside, after 5 long years, Misery Index have just released their latest album titled Rituals of Power via Season of Mist. And when a band of such caliber releases new material, you simply have to give it a listen!

The album starts with noisy guitar feedback and a drum part that announces the calm before the storm. Universal Untruths will make you frown.  After the groovy intro riff, more death metal riffs are brought into the picture. And these chops are the real deal! And Jason Netherton is just killing it! His vocals are astoundingly brutal! He even managed to save his voice even though he was the front man of Dying Fetus for 10 years (1991-2001)!  From the beginning, Decline and Fall sounds as the ultimate grindcore masquerade. And as the time goes by more death metal and even thrash metal riffs are introduced! There is this catchy part when the whole band is screaming Decline and Fall! And man! The boys are raping their instruments with full force! The break coming after the solo is so enjoyable! You will fall into head-banging mode for sure! The Choir Invisible is probably the catchiest tune from the whole damn thing! Simple, yet crushing and easily memorable riffs that are piercing like knife through butter! The chorus is in place… The pull up riff kinda changes the mood of the song towards anger for a while. New Salem starts with this noisy guitar background fill that may remind you of Napalm Death albums Diatribes or Inside the Torn Apart and then it gets through this„ thrashing like a maniac” thing. The simplicity of the riffs is always backed by savage rapid drum fire by Adam Jarvis and Jason Netherton’s beastlike growls.

Hammering the Nails is another thrash/death tune with some melodic elements. The song’s simplistic nature is aggressive enough to keep the madness in the pit! And man! The drums really intensify the song at one moment. Rituals of Power may be described as a big grinding wheel that you don’t want to be crushed by! Beware of the deadly grooves! Without a doubt, the riff in this song is one of the heaviest moments on the whole album!   The melancholic riff’s guitar tone may remind you of Deathspell Omega’s Drought.  The next track They Always Come Back is by far the most brutal song of this release! It starts with these neck-snapping, in-your-face riffs.  Brace yourself for some sonic whipping! After the mini break where you can hear only the bass, tension mounts with these Slayer-sounding riffs! And hands down for these neat, melodic-sounding leads! I Disavow is another embodiment of sheer death metal frenzy that will surely quench your thirst for some merciless sonic aggression! And just wait for another epic lead part to kick in! The breakdown that follows will definitely make you head-bang! Man, the last 2 songs on the album are just over the top! It seems that the band was saving the strongest songs for the end!  I already said that They Always Come Back is one of the best songs on the album but hell no! It’s the NAYSAYER! I mean, the whole flow of the song is just jaw-dropping! Nasty riffs, impeccable drumming, and monstrous growls! And just wait for these dissonant head-chopping  riffs! I bet Misery Index guys were like, “Hey! Let’s make a Pig Destroyer song that can fit Phantom Limb album“! Absolutely fantastic!

With Rituals of Power, Misery Index was sticking to a more death metal path with a strong portion of thrash and grindcore elements!  What I really like about this album is the fact that it’s easy to listen and yet brutal enough to keep you energized for 35 minutes! Kinda short for 2019 standards but hey, who cares! Album itself has some really neat production. I said it many times and I’ll say it again! THE BASS IS NOT LOUD ENOUGH!  The band really knows how to balance out the songs. For instance, simple riff is followed by overtly extreme drumming and vice versa!  Rituals of Power will definitely be interesting no matter whether you’re a fan of Misery Index or not. 

Rating: 8/10

Order your copy: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/list/rituals-of-power

Track-list

1. Universal Untruths (2:35)
2. Decline and Fall (4:36)
3. The Choir Invisible (4:26)
4. New Salem (3:24)
5. Hammering the Nails (3:46)
6. Rituals of Power (5:20)
7. They Always Come Back (5:08)
8. I Disavow (4:21)
9. Naysayer (2:26)

Style: Death Metal

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/MiseryIndex
Bandcamp: https://shopusa.season-of-mist.com/list/rituals-of-power

Recording:

Drum recordings: Mana Studios by Erik Rutan (HATE ETERNAL)
Guitar, bass and vocals: Apollo Audio Alternative by Ryan Mullins
Guitar and bass: Cellblock Studios by Darin Morris
Vocals: Soundwell Studio by Valtteri Kallio
Vocals: Casa Del Muerte by Leon Del Muerte

Mixing and mastering: Will Putney

Line-up:

Jason Netherton: bass, vocals
Adam Jarvis: drums
Mark Kloeppel: guitar, vocals
Darin Morris: lead guitar

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