Review: “Altars of Sacrifice” by Bloodfeast Ritual

“This EP is a love letter to Death Metal. Old School, Modern, Technical and Brutal; we love all of the aspects of death metal as a genre, and we wanted to show that with this EP. We tried to display our influences by dramatically changing the vibe of each song.” Thats what Bloodfeast Ritual have to say about “Alters Of Sacrifice“. Hailing from Los Angeles California and bringing a sound that ranges from Technical Death Metal to Melodic shred, they’re a band known for lyrical content that shares the trio’s love for 80’s horror movies like The Evil Dead and video games like Bloodborne as well as the written works of  HP Lovecraft. The creative backbone of the band is formed by guitarist Hunter Gurney who found fellow guitarist Michael Bala shredding at a Guitar Center in Hollywood, which just goes to show that with an open mind, you never know what you might stumble across and they’re joined by vocalist David “The Mississippi Mutant” Ainsworth…

…the influences of older Death Metal on Bloodfeast Ritual is immediately apparent in opening cut “Grave Fodder“. Ainsworth spits some serious venom in fine storytelling fashion and the riffs cross into the territory of those that inspired the first wave of Metalcore with electrifying leads over the top of each rhythm section that cut a satisfying crunch. “Altars of Sacrifice” was recorded with Charlie Waymire from Ultimate Studios and the surgical precision of the instrumentation is maintained by an excellent mix. The first solo on “Eternally Molested By The One Most Foul” being a fine example of that, it’s second to none in face melting style. Adding in some gang chant moments is perhaps a step away from the genre but works really well, while a second is jaw dropping. As a group they have matched off the lyrical horrors with the sonic perfection with furious intent and breakneck speed riffs so there is no weak moment in this beast. “No More Room In Hell” takes a leaf out of The Black Dahlia Murder playbook with some jackhammer footwork and powerhouse percussion moments while the riff interplay is nothing short of phenomenal, of the standard of say Trivium pair Matt Heafy and Corey Beaulieu.

Loaded with blast beats and rapid fire riffs, “Chopped Up And Burned” is the perfect accompaniment to a high speed car chase in an 80s horror movie. Ainsworth puts in a simply demonic performance vocally, his beast from the depths roar mid-track really is something else. Maintaing the high energy output “Fetid Offering” wastes no time in getting up to speed. It’s brilliantly executed lead harmonics that burst into a blistering solo are mesmerising and leave no time for breathing. “Altars of Sacrifice” needs to be heard to be believed, it’s an absolute tour de force of Death Metal, a whirlwind of exceptional leads and bloodcurdling storytelling [9/10]

Track listing

1. Grave Fodder
2. Eternally Molested By The One Most Foul
3. No More Room In Hell
4. Chopped Up And Burned
5. Fetid Offering

“Altars of Sacrifice” by Bloodfeast Ritual is out now and available over at bandcamp