Ritual Earth Premiere “Distress Signal” Video; Album Out in February
Released as a standalone single last month, Ritual Earth‘s “Distress Signal” is intended as a herald of their full-length to come next February through Iodine Recordings. The track originally appeared on the self-released, limited CD pressing of MMXX in Fall 2020, but is held off the LP version presumably for time and released instead as a flexi 7″ single. And though as vocalist George Chamberlin says in the quote below, the song is essential to the makeup of who Ritual Earth are, it all the more earns its singular placement for that. In other words, be careful with that floppy platter when you get it.
I’m not sure if MMXX will have the same title, or even if it will be the same recordings serving as the band’s official debut album release, but “Distress Signal,” as heralds go, bodes well. The band shout out to straightforward heavy doom rock, but you can hear that it’s born of more aggressive fare — Chamberlin has a past in hardcore/post-hardcore and guitarist Steve Mensick and the all-Chris groove department of bassist Chris Scott 
and drummer Chris Turek come from Chimpgrinder and a host of other bands — but the melody of the verse and chorus lines rides the riff smoothly and the edge of something meaner underlying only ups the energy of their delivery on the whole, while still not necessarily defining the sound.
The band sent me an email last Fall about MMXX, which I apparently didn’t answer. They even offered to send me a CD. No excuse. I suck at this. I’m sorry. I do my best, but if you’re reading this, you should know I miss stuff all the time. It’s hard being a person. So obviously I haven’t heard MMXX in full and am left to wallow in my ignorance while anticipating the long-player to see issue early next year. In the meantime, Ritual Earth have been playing out and are confirmed to appear at Maryland Doom Fest in wonderful (I mean that) Frederick, MD, on Halloween Weekend with a lineup that is intimidatingly good.
As for the “Distress Signal” clip, it’s kind of a lyric video, kind of not, blurring a line that very much needs at this point to be blurred between that, as well as found-footage and artistic manipulation, effects, etc. It’s a working thematic showcase for the song, certainly. And if you, like me, didn’t hear MMXX, it’s sure to point out the error of your (our) ways.
Enjoy:
Ritual Earth, “Distress Signal” video premiere
George Chamberlin on “Distress Signal”:
“‘Distress Signal’ was the catalyst for Ritual Earth. It has a stripped down, tribal, ritualistic feel to it which builds upon the tension created by the song’s opening riff. It was one of the first songs presented to me when I joined the band, and the one that I immediately gravitated towards as a starting point for the lyrics. Already aware of the ethos and backstory that the members of this band created prior to me joining, it was obvious to me that this would be the starting point, and the introduction of the protagonist. When we signed to Iodine Recordings, the first thing I explained to Casey was the importance of this song and that we had to find a way to include Distress Signal as part of the LP release. The track wouldn’t fit on the final LP, so we released it as a stand alone Flexi 7″ as a way to promote the upcoming album. We really wanted to make sure that our proper introduction was made through this song as it really has laid the groundwork for everything that will follow.”
Ritual Earth was born from the ashes of the Philadelphia Grindcore legends, Chimpgrinder and featuring George Chamberlin on vocals (Autumn, Aim of Conrad). Monolithic riffs in a vast soundscape with pounding heavy grooves and vocal hooks. Emerging from the darkness of a collapsing nebula, Ritual Earth reverberates the electronic radiation of all things Doom, Space, and Psychedelia. Heavy, Slow, Atmospheric and Dark.
Released as a Flexi 7″ available from Iodine Recordings, Deathwish Inc., RevHQ, and Evil Greed (EU).
Edited by: Ritual Earth
Debut Full Length LP due out in February 2022 on Iodine Recordings.
Mixed and Mastered by David Downham at Gradwell House Recording.
Ritual Earth are:
George Chamberlin – Vocals
Steve Mensick – Guitars
Chris Scott – Bass
Chris Turek – Drums
Keys & Synths by Mark Boyce
Ritual Earth, “Distress Signal”
Iodine Recordings on Instagram
Tags: Distress Signal, Iodine Recordings, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Ritual Earth, Ritual Earth Distress Signal
