Review Summary: 20 years later, Warning are finally back.
2026 is the year of comebacks. Neurosis, Boards of Canada and now, after 20 long, grueling years, Warning have finally made their long awaited return. I could argue that
Watching from a Distance is the greatest doom metal album ever made. The pure emotion shown by Patrick Walker and the rest of the band, the anguish in the vocals and the riffs and the desolate atmosphere warrant at least the consideration of such a feat. But then they just vanished into thin air. Of course, we have 40 Watt Sun who released two Warning-esque albums before transitioning into a boring slowcore/indie rock band, but it still wasn't Warning. And now, Patrick and the boys are FINALLY back with
Rituals of Shame.
Now this is a Warning album through and through. It is chock-full of depressingly distressed vocals by Patrick who once again steals the show. His overtly emotional lyrics and singing may be a bit much for some people, but for me, they hit just as hard as they did 20 years ago and it's nice to have this version of him back. Like I said, the first two 40 Watt Sun albums kind of scratched that itch, but it just wasn't on the same level as Warning. The title track is a devastatingly emotional masterpiece that sets the tone for the entire album. Patrick wails and cries while thundering riffs plod along in the background and they even have a bit of melody to them this time around. Patrick's vocals are pretty high in the mix which may bother some people, but since he is the main draw to the band, it's perfectly okay with me. The riffs throughout the whole album are extremely pounding and hit you like a train. The guys have really done it yet again.
Rituals of Shame might not quite reach the level of
Watching from a Distance, but that is an impossible feat to pull off. This album is something that is entirely its own, and while it may
quite live up to its predecessor, it's still emotionally taxing, crushing and heartbreaking all at the same time. Patrick's vocals are enough to bring a tear to the listeners’ eye, add in the shattering riffage and you have a combination that is enough to consider
Rituals of Shame yet another masterpiece by this band. It's absolutely insane how they can come back after 20 years and drop an album of this magnitude, but you're not going to find me complaining about it. Sit down, lay back and get lost in the darkness my friends.
