Much like many others in the metal realm who released an album in 2020 but were unable to tour due to COVID-19 lockdown measures, Kill Ritual didn’t idle their downtime away in terms of productivity. Instead, they hunkered down to release a five-song EP for Thy Will Be Done, including a mixture of previously released tracks and the bonus track “The Opaque Is Divine” originally tracked during The Opaque and the Divine recording sessions. The four-piece develop a sound that has darker textures while still being very power and thrash-oriented – careful to craft the right balance of hooks, melodies, and grooves against some dynamic sonic measures.
Guitarist Steven D. Rice continually delivers a mix of riffs and lead breaks that rival artists like Metal Church, Nevermore, and older Savatage for the heads down barrage prevalent in “Angels in Black” and the title cut. Although four of the songs are standard in radio-friendly timeframes, “The Opaque Is Divine” at over nine-minutes showcases the atmospheric and epic textures Kill Ritual can execute – a very mysterious, clean intro giving way to building heavier momentum, the vocals of Brian ‘Chalice’ Betterton passionate in a Warrel Dane meets King Diamond-esque manner, the layers of twists and transitions aligning to more of a 70’s Black Sabbath or 80’s Maiden-like arrangement. Ion Vein guitarist Chris Lotesto contributes his exemplary axe attack for a lead break on “Light the Fire (Tonight We Fly)” – another haunting mid-tempo monster featuring the right harmony accents, semi-thrash moments, and subtle keyboard use/ vocal effects to maintain listener interest throughout.
Not necessarily a stop-gap release, Thy Will Be Done aligns well with the forward momentum last year’s album set up in the Kill Ritual discography and will be a welcome addition to all who love a mix of power/thrash with some modern, darker touches.