Review Summary: Bury me, bury me, bury me.
Cold In Berlin are a four-piece hailing from London, and up until now they have mostly flirted with mesmerizing goth-infused punk, living within the haunted and vacant walls of those fallen. With
Rituals of Surrender, they have broken themselves free of these confines and find themselves beneath the shadow of a monolithic construct, much like the one adorning the album's artwork. Led by the soaring tones of their vocalist Maya, they seek to ascend and dismantle this towering monument, brick by brick.
Massive and quaking, fuzzed-out riffs and rhythmic drumming make up the backbone of this album. Maya's brooding and powerful vocals are the heart, painting dystopian fables that recall those displaced and dispossessed by calamity, emotional or physical. Opening pair "The Power" and "Dark Days", alongside howl-driven standout "Avalanche", are the most relentless and pounding stretch of the album and leave a lasting impression. The album's middle chunk of "Monsters" and "Frantic" may leave something to be desired for some, but are still driving and urgent nonetheless. "Shadowman" and "Your Body/My Church" are slower offerings that hinge more on Maya's vocals, with the latter practically having cathedral acoustics. The seductive dirge and plodding pace of "Shadowman" are not without note, though.
Ushered in with a low hum, the album's coda "Sacred Ground" stands at the smoldering remains, a plea for acknowledgement from a seemingly unreachable power. Violins and stormy riffs carry the track's latter half and escalate the drama appropriately, bringing this visceral journey to a fitting end. Mountains haven't been moved, but Cold In Berlin have made enough of a statement worthy of one's attention.
