Ritual Veil – Keep Looking Down

It’s been about 4 years since the umbra of Wolf In The Night shook me cold with its gloomy charm and relentless piercing arc into the dimly lit corridors of yesteryear. Ritual Veil return with a three track cassette, Keep Looking Down, that takes a turn away from the path Wolf In The Night took to a more new wave approach with a healthy dose of 80’s aesthetics and transcendent moments of awe.

The lead track “Keep Looking Down” captures everything you need to know about this release. The instant the track starts, the 80’s begin swirling feverishly in your mind, releasing endorphins into the cerebral cortex and ultimately bringing a moment of clarity and peacefulness as you try figure out where the influences take you.  The soothing melodic vocals dwell somewhere in the general vicinity of Depeche Mode, The Twins, Rational Youth and others. “Misery” and “How I like it” continue the journey with more precise programming and thoughtful arrangements that continue to embody the new path Ritual Veil has taken. The music is not masking any flaws in the vocals, and vocals are not masking any flaws in the music. This is a statement that Ritual Veil is alive and well.

Ritual Veil successfully expanded their sound and captured the 80’s vibes that seduced a generation to capitulate to a sound that evolves yet never dies. Ritual Veil have found a gentle balance that bridges the current day to the past. Keep Looking Down certainly plants the seeds of wonder and excitement for the next release. Although the physical cassette releases are sold out, you can pick up the digital on Bandcamp or stream on Spotify.