Review STARLIGHT RITUAL “Rogue Angels”

I was really looking forward to the sophomore release from Starlight Ritual. I was impressed by the band’s debut, “Sealed in Starlight”, which featured some great epic metal, so my expectations for “Rogue Angels” were rather high. Unfortunately, the new album can’t quite compete with the debut, and the Canadians from Montreal haven’t managed to raise the bar.

Ten songs made it onto the “Rogue Angels” tracklist, and the band continues their musical journey through the world of epic metal. Influences from bands like Manowar and Running Wild, particularly in the title track, provide the musical inspiration, with “Exodus” being the cornerstone song on the album.

The epic approach to music resonates throughout, showing that Starlight Ritual have a clear musical direction. “Exodus” is a slower-paced song that, at times, refers to bands like Rainbow, while also relying heavily on a Sabbathian doom riff. Combined with a throbbing bass, the song showcases the band’s talent.

However, the sound quality of the album is not convincing at all. While it is not necessarily a bad thing to have some rough edges, the production quality is less than impressive. The muffled sound takes away all the ambition that went into the songwriting, and while “Sealed in Starlight” had this raw, underground spirit, “Rogue Angels” disappoints in this respect.

Unfortunately, Starlight Ritual’s second album can’t compete with their striking debut, and it feels like a missed opportunity, as powerful songs like “The Law” could have shone much brighter.