Reduced to a power trio this time out, Starlight Ritual bring the heavy metal thunder on grandiose opener “Lost Among the Fold.” It opens like epic doom with thundering drums and mammoth, mourning doom riffs lurching before it explodes into a gloriously 80s metal gallop that splits the difference between NWoBHM and the meaner American sounds of 82-84. Frontman Damien Ritual’s booming baritone bellows are perfect for these tales of war and heroism, and he sounds like the love child of Grim Reaper’s sadly departed Steve Grimmett, Paul Di’Anno, and Visigoth’s Jake Rogers. The guitar work by Dan Toupin is so perfectly 80s it causes a time rupture that allowed me to heist several cases of Night Train and Tango from the past (for scientific purposes only). This is the kind of retro metal gem that makes my back hair long and luxurious. And they keep this high quality going with the big, bold title track, which is so goddamn trve that it makes even me feel false by comparison. There’s even a bit of Crypt Sermon in here, but with things sped up for more aggression and urgency. “Crusaders” is another stiff blow to the neck and nutal regions with a raucous, headlong charge into the enemy that’s so damn metal it leaves an unpleasant iron taste in your mouth. If this doesn’t go on your gym playlist, you must be doing pool noodle pilates with the assisted living set.
With such a completely crushing triarch opening the album up, you want the goods to keep coming hot and heavy. There are some bumps as the album unfolds, however, but none of them derail the march on Valhalla. “Far Beyond the Storm” is a meaty metal tidbit but less inspired than its predecessors, and “Omenkillers” is the longest, most aggressive track, but it’s a notch or 2 below the better stuff. Slow burn grinder “Exodus” is moody as fuck and reminds me of the Dio-era Sabbath chesnuts, but it never quite attains that next level. Things are redeemed by killer back-half high notes like “The Law” (which I cannot stop replaying) and “On the Run” (which I also cannot stop replaying), and the overall package is more hunter-killer than filler. The production screams 1982, with the guitar tone perfectly aged and moldy. It sounds and feels olde and elder me values that muchly.
I love Damien Ritual’s vocals. He isn’t blessed with a vast range but makes the most of his raw, rough bellows/rasps, and he can actually sing when he opts to do so. He sounds like a wild barbarian bastard much of the time, and on the faster moments, he channels Paul Di’Anno to the point of creepiness. As or even more essential to the Starlight Ritual sound is the heavily dated guitar phrasing from Dan Toupin. The man knows exactly how to recreate the sounds of the golden age of metal, from the riffs to the harmonies and the way little accents were used as hooks. His playing is the crystal key that unlocks all the nostalgia, and that’s the band’s secret weapon.
Starlight Ritual have their targeted sound and style down cold, and while Rogue Angels isn’t a huge progression from their debut, it shows growth in the writing department. That said, it’s definitely front-loaded, and a few cuts just can’t tow the line with the best moments. This is one of those albums where the good stuff is so good, it carries the weaker bits to end up enjoyable as a whole (see The Number of the Beast for comparison, and yes, you know it’s true). If you hanker for a hunka, a sliver, slab, or chunka 80s metal, Rogue Angels brings the Flaming Sword of Smoting. Get smitten.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 9 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: High Roller
Websites: facebook.com/starlightritual | instagram.com/starlightritual
Releases Worldwide: October 31st, 2025
