Ritual Howls (10 Year Deluxe Edition)

by Ritual Howls

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CORN MAZE Haunting like an abandoned street lined with dark, vacant, decrepit buildings. Beautiful like snow slowing falling on a cold deep river. Industrious like a boiler heating a mile long factory. Ritual Howls and Détroit Favorite track: The Mark.

ghaseloff Ritual howls is probably one of the most underrated bands of the modern era, I love their style, instantly recognizable to anyone who has ever heard them. This is a classic from them and definitely should be a part of any serious collector's collectiion. Favorite track: Rosabelle Believe.

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Streaming + Download

Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

Purchasable with gift card

$12 USD or more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
- New mixes by Adam Stilson
- New masters by Rafael Anton Irisarri (Black Knoll Studio)
- Amber Stone color vinyl
- Re-imagining of the original artwork by Chris Samuels (Ritual Howls/Mission to the Sun)
- 12-page 11" x 11" booklet of photos, lyrics & images from the original recording sessions

WE WILL NOT BE REPRESSING THIS COLOR AGAIN. THE IMAGES YOU SEE ARE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE GUARANTEED LOOK OF THE VINYL PRODUCT, BUT IT WILL BE CLOSE.

Includes unlimited streaming of Ritual Howls (10 Year Deluxe Edition) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 14 days

edition of 750

Purchasable with gift card

$28 USD or more
Record/Vinyl + Digital Album
- New mixes by Adam Stilson
- New masters by Rafael Anton Irisarri (Black Knoll Studio)
- Cemetery Green color vinyl
- Re-imagining of the original artwork by Chris Samuels (Ritual Howls/Mission to the Sun)
- 12-page 11" x 11" booklet of photos, lyrics & images from the original recording sessions

WE WILL NOT BE REPRESSING THIS COLOR AGAIN. THE IMAGES YOU SEE ARE NOT ALWAYS GOING TO BE THE GUARANTEED LOOK OF THE VINYL PRODUCT, BUT IT WILL BE CLOSE.

Includes unlimited streaming of Ritual Howls (10 Year Deluxe Edition) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 14 days

edition of 750

Purchasable with gift card

$28 USD or more
Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album
- New mixes by Adam Stilson
- New masters by Rafael Anton Irisarri (Black Knoll Studio)
- Re-imagining of the original artwork by Chris Samuels (Ritual Howls/Mission to the Sun)
- 12-page booklet of photos, lyrics & images from the original recording sessions
- Includes 4 bonus tracks not found on the original release or vinyl versions

These are new mixes by Adam Stilson, mastering by Rafael Anton Irisarri and a re-imagining of the original artwork by Chris Samuels. This version of the album includes bonus tracks taken from super limited tapes and vinyl runs.

Includes unlimited streaming of Ritual Howls (10 Year Deluxe Edition) via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

ships out within 14 days

edition of 1200 64 remaining

Purchasable with gift card

$15 USD or more

1.	The Year Of Fear 06:54	lyrics	buy track
Oh dear, it is the year The year when tides of fear Swallow the shores of love A bed becomes a home When the world grows much too cold When the nightmares take hold The end has come . . . Cut a hole so we can breathe Cut a hole so we can see So that we can watch them bleed A pocket for every gun I see you in everyone Oh God, “What have I done?!” The end has come . . . Still on fire . . . still on fire When will this be done? Still on fire . . . I’m still on fire! Please let this be done
2.	Cemetery Guards 04:47	lyrics	buy track
Man the bridges Guard the grave They’re getting hungry They’re getting brave The matter is grave . . . The rats have eaten our bread Now they sleep in our bed The matter is grave . . . With gaunt, boneyard stares We devour our ancestors The matter is grave . . . The guards are helpless They can’t be saved They’re jumping from bridges! They’re digging up graves! The matter is grave . . .
3.	Keep Those Stones Up 07:25	lyrics	buy track
Keep those stones up, keep them high Don’t let them fall to your side If they do, for if they do . . . That’s the end of you I’ve been tied and I’ve been free— I can hide, inside me Why don’t you tell me what you have to say Why don’t you give me a few names A few names, a few streets A few places you boys meet I don’t want to have to hurt you more than I do Please boys, don’t make me have to hurt you I’ve been tied and I’ve been free— I can hide, inside me Keep those stones up, keep them high Keep those stones up boys Keep those stones up, keep them high Don’t let them fall to your side If they do, for if they do . . . That’s the end of you
4.	L'Atalante 03:42	lyrics	buy track
When you open your eyes underwater Who do you see underwater— No one you say It’s just empty and grey, this can’t be Won’t you open your eyes underwater? Please, won’t you open your eyes! They must be closed . . . If you would open them, I know you’d see me If you would open your eyes underwater If you’d just open your eyes underwater You’d see me there—gasping for air . . . gasping for air
5.	Rosabelle Believe 03:42	info	buy track
6.	Anchorites 04:41	lyrics	buy track
Seeing you here Your face, your style— Your shadow of comfort It’s been awhile Over the tears I’ve been passing the time With dry conversation With bottles of wine Hands in my lap I am counting the days Till this sharpening panic goes away A knock at the door— The requiem drum Paces the distance Of worlds to come In passing the anchorites Find shelter from the light We’re the anchorites of the night
7.	Hell Fuck 03:00	lyrics	buy track
It was supposed to take my mind off of things Now it’s just giving me bad dreams Ok, ok, ok, ok, ok. . . . It’s not ok! That was fucking hell
8.	The Mark 03:41	lyrics	buy track
Everything you see . . . is because of me The angels were no match for me They were rotting in the air we breathe My demons have heard your plea The angels were no match for me The School of Dark . . . has left its mark You make me sick! I never asked for this The priestess was no match for me The bloodied virgin's muted screams Sounded through the midnight trees The priestess was no match for me The School of Dark . . . has left its mark
9.	Sacred Awe 05:25	lyrics	buy track
The churchman is trembling— Filled with empty prayers for the living Falling skies ahead And nothing to comfort the dead The churchman is trembling I count the spells controlling me— One by one, they won’t let me be Remember the days when We rehearsed the assassination Goddamn the spells controlling me!
10.	Lucy (Bonus Track) 08:40	lyrics	buy track
Lucy Tell me, where have you been? It’s 4am Lucy You’re shaking out of control Are you feeling cold? Why are you crying? Your makeup is a mess It’s all over your face and your dress This shit’s not working Nothing has changed I still feel the same Lucy Stop your scratching You’ll break the skin You’ll start bleeding again Lucy Will you be leaving When it’s all gone? Will you be moving on? Mr. Stockhausen did you dance— Or was the movement only in your head?
11.	The Last Time (Bonus Track) 04:25	lyrics	buy track
It’s getting closer It’s getting brighter When do we begin to fall? The further we go The less we know This might be our curtain call Is this the last time? Should we say our goodbyes? Please be the last the time I don’t have another try Among the houses I have wandered Criticizing my own mind When the day is done And we step into the sun They’ll remember that we tried Is this the last time? Should we say our goodbyes? Please be the last the time I don’t have another try
12.	A Thoughtful Beast (Bonus Track) 06:10	lyrics	buy track
Think of some medication Leave me be Let me sleep Remedy your situation I can’t be what you need The drapery is covering the sun Keeping me from everyone Is this it? Am I done? Talk to me, I’m tired— I can’t sleep Please talk to me! My mind a funeral pyre This can’t be what you need The drapery is covering the sun Keeping me from everyone Is this it? Am I done?
13.	The Scent of Skin (Bonus Track) 02:10	lyrics	buy track
This is getting serious— The serpents are among us I keep finding your hairpins in the sheets The scent of sweat and skin won’t leave They tell me it’s supposed to hurt

about

Ritual Howls – Ritual Howls (10 Year Deluxe Edition)

The story of Ritual Howls begins in a southwest Detroit basement in the early winter of 2012. Singer/guitarist Paul Bancell had been writing and performing solo as well as in several bands and was looking for collaborators for a new project. Bassist Ben Saginaw seemed like a natural fit. Acquaintances from Ann Arbor, Michigan where the two grew up, Paul had been a fan of Ben's visual art and had seen him playing around town in the psych-improv outfit Anonymous Touch. A year prior, Paul met Chris Samuels when he filled in on drums for a few rehearsals for the band Paul had been playing in called The Baptist Church. An electronic diamond in the rough, Chris had knowledge of synths and drum machines that Paul rarely found in the rock scene – knowledge that would later translate to his percussion duties in Ritual Howls. The three began jamming in Paul's basement and Ritual Howls was formed.

After a month of writing and playing together, Ritual Howls played their first show at a brick box of a bar in Detroit called Donnovan's. Just a few weeks later, the band made the 12-hour drive to play their second show at the celebrated (and since-dissolved) venue Death by Audio.

By the summer of 2012, the band had written what would become Ritual Howls. With the help of a friend (Jeff Navarre), they recorded their first full-length in Ben's art studio using a laptop. Paul tracked vocals at home in his bedroom and, not wanting to relinquish control, mixed and mastered the album himself.

The band burned the album onto CD-Rs and packaged them in handsewn jackets. Paul had been spending time in Mexico City and managed to find a couple of shows for the band. With not yet a formal release to their name, the three jumped on a plane to Mexico City. Momentum was building. Upon returning to Detroit, Paul met Eric Love of Urinal Cake records, who would go on to formally release the self-titled album on vinyl in March 2013.

A formidable introduction to the band's haunting, cinematic blend of twangy industrial rock, Ritual Howls established the band as a unique force in the landscape of dark music, both past and present. Tracks like "Cemetery Guards" and "Hell Fuck" offer glimpses into the band's heavier explorations into noise and metal. But it's the creeping, western jangle of "Keep Those Stones Up Boys" and catchy hooks of the danceable "Rosabelle Believe" that best capture Ritual Howls' enduring sound and offer blueprints for what was yet to come. The band's DNA had been written with Paul's baritone vocals, macabre lyrics, and country-tinged guitar, Ben's fuzzed-out bass riffs, and Chris' industrial electronics – which would come to reference their hometown's claim as the birthplace of techno music more and more through subsequent releases.

Separated by a decade, four LPs, two EPs later, this re-release features new mixes by Adam Stilson, mastering by Rafael Anton Irisarri and new artwork by Chris Samuels that fully realize the band's DIY beginnings. Ritual Howls is an impressively cohesive first effort and testament to the band's vision that, even in its infancy, forged a distinct sound that has only matured with perfection over time.

-written by Jess Labrador of Chasms (felte)

ABOUT THE REISSUE FORMATS
All formats feature new mixes by Adam Stilson, mastering by Rafael Anton Irisarri and a re-imagining of the original artwork by Chris Samuels. The vinyl and CD packaging include 12-page booklets of photos, lyrics and images from 2012-2013 when the album was originally released and recorded. Vinyl colors include Cemetery Green (750 units) and Amber Stone (750 units). The CD & digital version of the album includes bonus tracks taken from super limited tapes and vinyl runs.

credits

released November 11, 2022

℗ + © felte 2022
Written + Produced by Ritual Howls
Paul Bancell | Vocals, Guitars
Christopher Samuels | Drums, Synths & Sounds
Ben Saginaw | Bass
Produced + Composed by Ritual Howls
Engineered by Jeff Navarre
New Mixes by Adam Stilson in 2021
Remastered by Rafael Anton Irisarri in 2021 @ Black Knoll Studio
Design by Christopher Samuels

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about

Ritual Howls Detroit, Michigan

Ritual Howls create a cinematic blend of twangy industrial-rock that could fuel a post-apocalyptic dancefloor. A collaboration between Paul Bancell (vocals, guitar), Chris Samuels (synth, samples, drum machine), and Ben Saginaw (bass), the Detroit trio create expansive arrangements sculpted with masterful production. ... more

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