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Sealed In Starlight

    
       
       
       
     
             
Starlight Ritual are a heavy metal band from Canada formed in 2014 releasing their self titled E.P. in 2015. A second E.P. 'Age Of The Universe' emerged in 2016, with the bands first full length album 'Sealed In Starlight' released in 2021.    
             
Featuring a hard hitting sound reminiscent of the eighties evolution of traditional heavy metal, Canadian metallers Starlight Ritual power through eight songs in an amazing fifty minutes! With a sound similar to Saxon, Motorhead, and Di'anno era Iron Maiden, Starlight Ritual offer an unapologetically raw metal sound, with the opening instrumental 'The Bell' building the tension and anticipation levels to the max. Album opener proper 'Marauders' is a high octane, high powered, fast and furious gallop. Full of pace and power, 'Marauders' is unabashed heavy metal to head bang hard to - the traditional foot on the monitor style in full flight. Slowing the tempo, 'One For The Road' is a mid paced thunder storm of heaviness - a heaviness that comes crashing down with such force, small buildings are gonna be crushed! Not to mention the fools foolish enough to stand in its way.    
             
Returning the pace of the opener, 'Burning Desire' is rampant as it hurtles forth, resembling Di'anno era Iron Maiden for its raw and brash sound - think 'Maiden's 1980 debut album before the polish of 'Killers'. 'Burning Desire' sounds hungry, with plenty of purpose and intent. At almost nine minutes in length, the albums title song 'Sealed In Starlight' is an atmospheric epic, including hymn-like passages among its anthemic roots. Iron Maiden are purveyors of the epic long song, with Starlight Ritual offering their spectacular take on an age old, but very successful formula. 'Civilization Lost' is the heaviest song on the album so far, tapping on the door of the thrash metal genre. The bullish nature of 'Civilization Lost' delivers a harsher sound than heard previously, and is gonna send the mosh pits into overdrive. And the mid song heavy riffing highly reminiscent of one of Iron Maiden's early classics - and no, I'm not gonna tell ya which one, you're just gonna have to take a listen for yourself!    
             
And now for two back to back seven minute long songs - the first, 'The Riddle Of Steel' is fast and furious, motoring along at a ferocious pace - the foot on the monitor style again in full flight. With one foot firmly planted in the thrash metal genre 'The Riddle Of Steel' opens the bands sound up to a whole new fan base. And with no let up in the albums raw intensity, 'Lunar Rotation' comes swashbuckling in - the kind of swashbuckling German heavy metallers Running Wild showcase. Meandering through all four corner of the heavy metal genre, 'Lunar Rotation' shows a care free attitude, and an openness to engulf every metal fan everywhere. The final song on offer 'Righteous Ones', takes over the mantle of the albums heaviest song - delivering a kind of bull in a china shop experience. The classic sound of traditional heavy metal is blended with thrash metal traits, to give this final hurrah a raw and immensely heavy feel.    
             
Overall, an exceptionally heavy take on the traditional metal sound, Starlight Ritual deliver raw and unabashed infectious heavy metal.    
             
             
Review by Iron Mathew Collins    
             
Reviewed for Metal Gods TV    
             
             
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