Rite
Death I Can Hear You Calling But I Can't Come Home Rite Now
Label: Longfellow Deeds Records
Release date: 06.17.10
Review by: ~ Lana Cooper
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On their third full-length studio album, Finnish metalhead's, Rite channel KISS on the album's title, riffing on the opening line from the band's classic 1976 ballad, "Beth." Rest assured, there are no ballads on "Death I Can Hear You Calling But I Can't Come Home Rite Now," just the straight-ahead doom metal / punk metal sludge that Rite has become known for. Their sly, black humor is still in place on tracks like "I Rest Your Case" and "If I Had a Heart" – pretty much what you would expect from the band whose last album was titled "Hobo Metall".
However, like early KISS, they seem to espouse the "Keep It Simple, Stupid" ethos in their approach to crafting metal songs. They take a sound and stick to it…. Mostly. There's a definite sonic imprint across the album – which has both its positives and negatives. Lead singer Jarkko Laatikainen's vocals growl and spit, however, the sound quality on the disc comes across a bit murky. Whether or not this sludge factor was an intentional part of Death I Can Hear You Calling's production values, it's distracting. Musically, "I Rest your Case" is a balls-to-the-wall, punk-inspired composition. However, the vocals fade almost completely into the background, which lessens its impact.
As the album progresses, your ears adjust and the full impact of Jarkko's "I-gargled-with-carburetor-cleaner" vocals effectively comes across. (For that reason, you're going to want to replay "Crack of Doom" and "Man or Maggot" once again after becoming more accustomed to Rite's sound on the album. With a fresh, second listen, they morph into memorable, head-banging riff-fests.)
Rite's latest offering is good, but uneven. The bulk of the songs are pummeling doom metal thrashers, some more memorable than others. The opener, "Crack of Doom" is as vicious as they come and one of the disc's highlights. "Rival Damnation" features an unexpected, but welcome groove that feels a bit different from the rest of the songs on Death I Can Hear You Calling.
Generally, Rite sticks to playing it fast, loose, and dirty. This is the formula that works for them. On the other end of the spectrum, the tedious, "Meanwhile In Hell" clocks in at nearly seven minutes, taking over two minutes of single-note plunking to get into the meat and potatoes of the song, crawling to its painfully anti-climactic finish.
The disc concludes on a high note with "Blood Turning Black," a charging chariot of angst fueled by chugging riffs courtesy of the band's two guitarists, Sami Lintunen and Juuso Saranki.
Overall, Death I Can Hear You Calling is a solid metal album that brings something brutally unique to the table, yet it suffers from muddled production values. While the dirty, sludgy sound is Rite's calling card, in this digital day and age, crisper production values can still provide that effect without forcing listeners to crane their ears to get a better feel for the songs on the album.
Track Listing:
1. Crack of Doom
2. Man or Maggot
3. Going, Going, Gone
4. Meanwhile in Hell
5. If I Had a Heart
6. I Rest Your Case
7. Death After Life
8. Rival Damnation
9. Blood Turning Black
http://www.myspace.com/riteband
