Coming in with six songs may mean you’d think this is a short album, but when the band plays stoner metal you know it’s going to be a long-ass six songs. And that’s certainly the case here. All the tracks range from about five minutes to thirteen minutes and while there’s a stoner rock edge to the sound, Ritual Earth takes more from Isis or Pallbearer than Black Sabbath or Sleep’s Dopesmoker. The big difference is that the vocalist has a late-’80s butt rock tone and I mean that in the most complimentary way. I think if I saw Ritual Earth at a bar I’d probably dislike them but on this album everything comes together really well. The heaviness and capable musicianship make a big difference and helps Ritual Earthshine more than most of their counterparts. –Kurt Morris (Iodine, iodinerecords.com)