Illumination Ritual is the next evolution of a band who has always sat at the edge of progression. This isn't too far of a stretch from what they've accomplished with previous albums, so it carries the humble nostalgia along from previous albums. Illumination ritual is rich with dense musical atmospheres; you must be prepared to dive into this experience because it presents us with a very distinct tone. For me, it's confining to a particular space, and not quite as ?free? or ?releasing? as progressive-ambient music could be. This could be due to the style of vocals, muffled and compressed. There is a good balance of lyrics and instrumental, and the flow through and between these elements feels good. The production, reflected especially through the vocals, is downright balls. But this is where competence of writing to create feels, and instrumentation, come in to make Illumination Ritual stand out.
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