REVIEW: Rites to Ruin - Daughter of Hatred

British band Rites to Ruin are doing their bit to revive the NWOBHM with their debut Daughter of Hatred. Throughout the album and its ten songs, the listeners are introduced to a variety of elements from across heavy metal, particularly when it comes to vocal techniques and guitars. Providing a slightly modern twist to a well-known formula, the group are ready to rock - are you?

Right at the beginning, the titular song 'Daughter of Hatred' brings in head-banging riffs and drums as drummer Tom Ross hits his snares like there's no tomorrow. The song is heavy in melody, yet the band’s vocalist Krissie Kirby does use clear vocals that make the song sound slightly softer, resulting in a well-balanced blend of sounds that compliments the overall song.

On the other hand, 'In Memoriam', the third song on the album, is of a quicker nature, offering sonics full of piercing vocals and angry guitars, thanks to Lee Cartner and Matt Chambers. The blend of two guitars creates, particularly in this song, a beautiful melody full of various riffs that combine together to work perfectly. The atmosphere of the song is especially striking, with the melody being reminiscent of some of our favourite bands from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, such as Iron Maiden, Motörhead and Judas Priest, adding to the memorability and grandeur of the piece.

Speaking of resemblance, the song 'Rise' carries an unmissable slow introduction full of guitars and vocals, that then switches into intimate like drums, creating that beautiful sound many heavy metal fans know from the likes of Metallica and other already mentioned bands. Although this mould has been heard countless times throughout the years, it is still widely accepted and always adds depths to the overall song experience, especially when paired with an ear catching solo in the song, such as the one that can be heard in 'Rise'. The intensity the song takes upon itself as it goes along is significant and the atmosphere changes multiple times, only to end up the same way as it began, with few guitar accords and sad tone, which in the end results into ballad-like melody.

Finishing the packed album with the song 'Sorrow', the band bids a pompous farewell to their debut album. Unfortunately the song does contain many elements and riffs that could be heard before, resulting in some patterns that feel pretty recognisable now, however, there is a guitar solo early into the track, and another one halfway through, that contain well-written riffs that carry further into the song as the solo ends, which bolster this one somewhat. With Krissie’s soaring vocals complementing the overall melody, the song is still strong, and Paul Boschen’s bass can be clearly heard throughout the song as well, which adds to the tension of the song.

Daughter of Hatred is a great album made by a group of musicians who clearly enjoy their craft. Their debut album contains some beautiful moments such as the song 'In Memoriam' - however, many of the songs sound very similar, resulting into repetitive patterns throughout the project. Nonetheless, Rites to Ruin’s debut album is a strong one, as there are many elements that, with some more work, will help them stand out in future, and with a skilled vocalist such as Krissie Kirby they are absolutely going to make waves with another release!

Score: 7/10

Daughter of Hatred was released on June 30^th via Otter Chaos Records.

Words: Katerina Stepanikova

Photos: Rites to Ruin