Album of the Week

I didn't post my Album of the Week blog entry on Tuesday because I posted my review of the Japanese Breakfast and The Linda Lindas concert. I decided to post it on Thursday. For this week's Album of the Week, I chose the Chinese black metal band Ritual Day's 2021 release Unholy Year. I recently discovered the album was finally uploaded on Spotify, and I have been listening to the album daily. 

Ritual Day is China's oldest extreme metal band. They have been together for 2 decades +. I discovered the band last year on YouTube when I began my exploration into the heavy metal scene through out the continent of Asia. They are one of my favorite discoveries.

Unholy Year is the band's debut album for the label Modern Sky. The album includes a few tracks from the band's self-released albums/EPs which people can find on Bandcamp. Black metal is a hit or miss with me but I absolutely love Unholy Year. In recent years, the band has brought on a pipa artist which has given their music a traditional Chinese folk influence to their music. It is a beautiful contrast to their sinister, black metal sound.

Track List:
01. Tutankhamun

02. Weak Light of Silence

03. Miasma Hill

04. Death March, Black Ridge

05. Elegy of Twilight
06. Beheaded Under the Stars
07. Mist of Plague Pt. 1 (instrumental)
08. Mist of Plague Pt. 2
09. Ancient Altar
10. Blood Shed Dawn
11. Northern Fjords

12. Erebus (instrumental)

13. Moon Daughter
14. Unholy Year is Coming