Time for some good Canadian Heavy Metal. From Montréal and Quebec comes STARLIGHT RITUAL and their second album, “Rogue Angels”, released by High Roller Records on CD, cassette and 12″ vinyl. The band arrives with a powerful, potent style, full of magic, melody, strength and dynamics. Permeated by that classic sound that makes your mind travel to that golden age for Heavy Metal in the early ’80s. And I know it’s easy and convenient to say something like that, but Damian Ritual’s voice here in STARLIGHT RITUAL reminds me of great Heavy Metal vocalists like Ronnie James Dio, Paul Di’Anno or Steve Grimmett. And this is no small thing! And the music makes it easy to establish those connections, because in their already 10-year career, STARLIGHT RITUAL has done nothing but create music that follows those same lines. If STARLIGHT RITUAL had emerged in the era of “See You In Hell” or “Holy Diver,” today, they would undoubtedly be a band as big as GRIM REAPER or DIO. But I also believe that (in fact), STARLIGHT RITUAL is the next step, the evolutionary leap, something like the student surpassing the master (or needing to surpass them). Very challenging, right? I know. No, STARLIGHT RITUAL are STARLIGHT RITUAL, but I insist, I am firmly convinced that this is a great band, destined to be one. A band that can perfectly position on the scale without any problem. And not everything revolves around the technical richness of Damian Ritual’s vocal style, which I believe needs no further justification from me, because Dan Toupin’s work on the guitar is simply majestic. We have a guitarist who plays with power. One who masters the secrets of distorted guitars. Oh, yes, I forgot to mention it, Damian Ritual (the vocalist) also plays the bass. And on the bass, he behaves like a true genius. On drums is J-F Bertrand, who was a guitarist in the band’s previous works. The album opens with ‘Lost Among The Fold’, a song that immediately presents the band’s identity and prepares us for what is to come across the album. ‘Rogue Angels’, what a piece of a song! Ugh! It has it all. A perfect song. I don’t have to say anything else. Listen to it. I want to move on to ‘Crusaders’, a fierce and highly melodic song. ‘Of Words’, a mid-tempo song, in which the band transitions for a moment of relative calm, but always returning to that territory where the guitars dominate and lead the way. ‘Omenkillers’, a song in which Damian Ritual highlights his lower register while singing with rage and energy, alternating with mediums and a couple of high notes. ‘The Law’… I’m fascinated by how it begins, with exquisite guitars that reminded me of ‘Rock Hard, Ride Free’ by PRIEST (without that meaning the song sounds like ‘Rock Hard, Ride Free’ by PRIEST)… ‘On The Run’… One of my favorites on the album… The perfect tempo, the voice just where it should be, the guitars full of feeling and the drums in that confusing rhythm between nostalgia and dance. We jump to ‘Exodus’, a song that is a march. Yes, like a march toward the exodus. And the album closes with ‘Aftermath’, an outro of one minute and 33 seconds that closes the chapter called “Rogue Angels”. Great album. More information here: www.facebook.com/starlightritual, www.facebook.com/hrrecords