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By JEFF MAKI
Spi-Ritual is the brainchild of Stefan Hertrich, vocalist and songwriter of the German goth metal band Darkseed and a soundtrack composer for PC games. The idea behind Spi-Ritual is to combine ethnic elements and atmosphere with hard-hitting metal, the project being dubbed "ethno-metal." A number of international guest musicians contribute to Pulse making it an interesting listen and fulfilling experience.
I'm a sucker for females in metal. I think a female singer, whether as a backup or lead, can add an epic feel and mood to a song and make it more listenable. Female vocals are at the forefront on Pulse. Most tracks combine ethnic female vocals with Hertrich's Swedish metal/hard rock style over downtuned riffs and memorable songs. It's not uncommon to hear flutes, world beats and chanting, and tranquil passages before songs explode with driving guitars and thunderous drums. Hertrich's PC composing also lends a hand here, as synthetic pads and eerie sound effects and samples also are found throughout, making you feel the album that much more.
Pulse contains eight songs clocking in at 45 minutes, with a couple peaking over the seven-minute mark. The opening song, "This Battle Is Yours," begins like a movie theme with beautiful female vocals before transforming into an epic metal song. The metal side to this band lies somewhere in between Lacuna Coil and In Flames. It may seem that with this many styles incorporated that the album would be a jumbled mess. That's not the case at all. The production on Pulse is phenomenal and properly shows the band's diversity. "Symphony of Life" is one of the stronger tracks, with its mid-paced chug and female/male transition chorus."Pulse," clocking in at 8:35, has everything mentioned thus far and is the album's centerpiece. "Khundas" and "You Believe" are not metal at all. The tribal and world elements take over completely, as Spi-Ritual delves even deeper into world music. "Save and Heal" may be the most accessible song and reminds me of Damageplan. Other than the few comparisons mentioned, Pulse has a sound all its own. There is enough here for hours of repeated listens. Spi-Ritual certainly is not the first band to incorporate tribal elements and other styles of music into its sound. Sepultura, Overdose, Ill Nino and many other metal bands have experimented before. However, they are the first to combine them to this extent. Never before this album has metal seen or heard world elements and diverse material such as the crossover we have here. Pick up Pulse and open your mind to not just a fantastic metal experience but a fantastic musical experience.
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