Ritual - 2007 - The Hemulic Voluntary Band

(53:04; Tempus Fugit)

It was about 20 years ago when I first came across Swedish quartet Ritual when I was sent a reissue of their debut album, which was originally released on Musea in 1996. I was very impressed with it, even though I noted that Patrik Lundström (here providing lead & backing vocals, electric & acoustic guitars) had also fronted the pop trio Blond at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1997. I was also fortunate enough to hear their 2006 live release, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and this was the next studio album, released in 2007. The band had kept the same line-up between the debut and this their fourth, with Patrick joined by Jon Gamble (grand piano, Rhodes, clavinet, harmonium, backing vocals), Fredrik Lindqvist (bass, Irish bouzouki, dulcimer, whistles, recorders, backing vocals) and Johan Nordgren (drums & percussion, nyckelharpa, backing vocals), while violinist Lovisa Hallstedt joins them on their epic, “Dangerous Journey”.

When I reviewed them previously I said they reminded me a great deal of Gentle Giant in their approach, while they also brought in plenty of influences from folk, and that is very much the same here. They may be indicated as being crossover prog on PA, but I think that is more of a case of this being obviously progressive rock but doesn’t really fit in any single sub-genre as it is crossing over so many, and given there is a great deal of melody in their music this was a good place to put them. This never feels like an album from 2007, but rather it could easily have come out 30 years earlier, or even been part of the 90’s underground scene, back when the only people writing about it were photocopying their own little magazines trying to spread the word. There is an incredible depth to this music, and it is nothing but sacrilege that it has taken until now for me to come across it, but 2007 was the year after I moved to the other side of the world and had taken some time out from reviewing. Their time signatures can be quite unusual, while they use many different instruments which give them a very distinct flavour, while they are also not adverse to using harmony vocals when they feel the time is right. “Waiting By The Bridge” is one of the most Gentle Giant numbers I have ever come across not recorded by that seminal British outfit, and is a blast.  

However, it is not possible to write about this album without mentioning the last track, “A Dangerous Journey” which is more than 26 minutes in length where they allow themselves to really spread their wings both instrumentally and within the arrangements which are massively complex and layered, yet also somehow quite simple with lots of folk in the introduction. They had previously referenced the Moomin series by Tove Jansson, and here they took inspiration from his 1977 book in that series, “Den Farliga Resan” which translates to “The Dangerous Journey”. This is undoubtedly one of the highlights of their career, and is solid Seventies in the core with its breadth and complexity, making for a piece which is a perfect introduction to the band in so very many ways. It is deep, it is passionate, yet it is also easy to listen to, with so many different styles taking us on a journey to where we know not where. This song would impact the band more than anyone expected, including the band themselves, as it would be 17 years until the next album.

Kev Rowland, November 2024

Links:
https://www.ritual.se/
https://www.tempusfugit.de/