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Gritty vocals and tight, jagged guitar melodies.

"A Ritual Spirit" is the debut EP from the Edinburgh-based heavy rock quartet of the same name.

Made up of ex-Serpico members Iain, Steve and Oli plus new recruit Dave, the mid-paced rock music they've produced is dark and haunting. With song titles such as 'As Good As It Gets' and 'Dead From The Waist Down', this isn't the most uplifting collection ever and could easily turn a good mood sour.

Don't get me wrong, I did like this EP: the vocals are gritty and packed with emotion whilst the guitar melodies are tight and jagged. The CD was recorded by the band in their practice room and mixed in Oli's bedroom so the sound isn't as good as it could be, but this raw, no-frills approach to getting their music to the masses gets a double thumbs up from me!

"A Ritual Sound" has a much lighter sound than that produced by the musicians when they were in Serpico, with a lot more emotion too! I can't wait to hear more from A Ritual Spirit in the future!