ATRIARCH – Ritual Of Passing

With “Ritual Of Passing”, Portland’s ATRIARCH have developed into a revelation beyond measures. With their mere beginnings, at a time where the band were slowly discovering, honing, and defining their sound, one in which amalgamates the likes of classic ‘80s deathrock and goth along with doom and a bit of black metal, ATRIARCH would indeed create a bit of a local/West Coast buzz (the band, at the time, also featured ex-members of Graves At Sea and Trees respectively) through their live actions and inevitably their acclaimed “Forever The End” debut which was released last year. The vibe and uncanny atmosphere the band would evoke would be one reminiscent of the short-lived Bay Area cult band The Gault and said band’s phenomenal and only-release ever, “Even As All Before Us”.

With a recent split 12” ATRIARCH did with their like-minded musical comrades in Alaric this past year, said split was a revelation in its own right, a hint of what ATRIARCH would inevitably deliver with “Ritual Of Passing” (which also features guest vocals from Jessica Way of WORM OUROBOROS on the closing outro); more focused songwriting and taking their sound even further through a harrowing, haunting, obsessive and possessive sermon-like offering drenched in vitriolic atmosphere and flourishing washed-out reverb/wall-of-sound epicness that carries that ancient vibe and tradition found in classic deathrock, goth, and doom metal.

Gorgeously packaged and presented, with artwork by Stevie Floyd and design and artwork respectively by vocalist Lenny Smith, tracklisting for “Ritual Of Passing” goes as follows:

1. Parasite
2. Prayer
3. Altars
4. Altruist
5. Offerings
6. Crused
7. Outro (Lucifer Speaks With Death)