Blackened and progressive thrash unite in a two-way split between Vancouver’s WORMWITCH and Atlanta’s SADISTIC RITUAL, set for release on March 22nd via Boris Records! Each band contributes three new tracks showcasing their boundary pushing take on the genre.
WORMWITCH descended from the darkness in 2015, somewhere upon the rain-soaked woodlands of coastal British Columbia. Animated from the bones of several local punk and heavy metal bands, the new entity set out to combine a melodic blackened death assault with the ferocity and attitude of crust punk and classic rock and roll, jettisoning the burdens of ceremony and pomp that dominate the genre today. WORMWITCH released their first demo in 2015 and signed to Prosthetic Records shortly thereafter, under whom they released Strike Mortal Soil (2017), Heaven That Dwells Within (2019), and Wolf Hex (2021). During that time, the band toured with the likes of The Black Dahlia Murder, Suffocation, Midnight, Necrot, Uada, Bewitcher, and others, earning themselves a dedicated cult following and international critical praise. In 2022, WORMWITCH struck out to independently release a string of singles and embark upon several tours of North America, refining their craft and continuing their tried-and-true tradition of devilish speed, searing melody and diabolical intensity.
Psychedelic thrash outfit SADISTIC RITUAL released their debut album, Visionaire Of Death, in 2019. The offering was described by Decibel Magazine as “a fearsome thrash ripper,” whilst other publications leveled comparisons to the likes of Kreator, Watain, and Sodom. SADISTIC RITUAL delivers classic thrash licks in spades, set against a backdrop of chugging, headbang-worthy tunes. The band unleashed their critically-lauded The Enigma, Boundless full-length via Prosthetic Records in 2022. The record seethed with themes of real-world horrors juxtaposed by an affection for LSD making the “psychedelic” part of “psychedelic thrash” become clearly apparent. SADISTIC RITUAL‘s acid infused ripping thrash continues to push the boundaries of the genre to new realms of madness in 2024. With their latest offering, they carry on the sound of The Enigma, Boundless, with a darker, more psychedelic approach with lyrics highlighting our dystopian society.
In advance of the release, today each band drops a new single: WORMWITCH with “Spells Of Tartarus” and SADISTIC RITUAL with “The Recusant.”
Comments WORMWITCH, “At long last this split can see the light of day. We recorded our tracks in the summer of ’22 and have been champing at the bit to get them released. We’re beyond stoked to get to do this split release with the SADISTIC RITUAL boys, their songs on this one absolute rip. Speaking for ourselves, these tracks signify a focus shift towards the more feral, aggressive and speed-loaded aspects of our sound.”
Comments SADISTIC RITUAL, “It’s time to finally release our follow up songs to our The Enigma, Boundless record! It includes the same musical approach and ideological concepts as our previous record: Paranoia, dystopian undertones of society and the flaws of common human nature today. WORMWITCH perfectly reflects our resentment towards the world we live in. We are honored to share this record with these fucking maniacs. ‘The Recusant’ is a person who refuses to submit to an authority or to comply with a regulation. This song is about Big Brother always watching, and their perverse obsession with our lives. The imprisonment of civilians who cannot afford their own immunity to jail unlike the sleazy politicians/criminals who control our day-to-day lives. They Watch!”
Stream WORMWITCH’s “Spells Of Tartarus” and SADISTIC RITUAL’s “The Recusant” at THIS LOCATION.
The WORMWITCH + SADISTIC RITUAL split will be released on CD, LP, and digitally. Find preorders at THIS LOCATION.
WORMWITCH + SADISTIC RITUAL Split Track Listing:
- WORMWITCH – Weapons Against Despair
- WORMWITCH – Rayonnant Banners
- WORMWITCH – Spells Of Tartarus
- SADISTIC RITUAL – Obscurity’s Stare
- SADISTIC RITUAL – The Recusant
- SADISTIC RITUAL – Reminiscence Unrealized
WORMWITCH photo by WORMWITCH
SADISTIC RITUAL photo by Brady Hunter
https://wormwitch.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/wormwitch
https://www.instagram.com/wormwitchofficial
https://www.sadisticritualatl.bandcamp.com
https://www.facebook.com/SadRitATL
https://www.instagram.com/sadisticritual
https://boris-records.com
https://www.facebook.com/borisrecordsatl
https://www.instagram.com/borisrecords
The post WORMWITCH + SADISTIC RITUAL: Split EP To See Release March 22nd Via Boris Records; New Tracks Streaming + Preorders Available first appeared on Earsplit Compound.