Tuesday 19 March 2013

Rings Of Saturn - Dingir (Album Review)



Album Type : Full Length
Date Released : 5/2/2013
Label : Unique Leader Records
Dingir, album tracklisting:

1) Object to Harvest
2) Galactic Cleansing
3) Shards of Scorched Flesh
4) Dingir
5) Faces Imploding
6) Peeling Arteries
7) Hyperforms
8) Fruitless Existence
9) Immaculate Order
10) Utopia


Bio
Rings of Saturn was formed in 2009 in high school only as a studio recording project with Lucas Mann on guitars, bass, and keyboards, Peter Pawlak on vocals, and Brent Silletto on drums. The band posted a track titled "Abducted" online and quickly gained listeners.

The band recorded their debut album, Embryonic Anomaly, with Bob Swanson at Mayhemenness Studios in Sacramento, CA. The album was self-released by the band on May 25, 2010. Four months after releasing Embryonic Anomaly, the band signed to Unique Leader Records.  In the months following the band's signing, Joel Omans was added as a second guitarist and the band graduated high school which led to their embarking on tours. Embryonic Anomaly was re-released through Unique Leader on March 1, 2011. In December of 2011, Brent Silletto and Peter Pawlak both left the band on their own decisions, mainly to seek out a different lifestyle.

Rings of Saturn, which at this point only included Lucas Mann and Joel Omans), toured with many different touring members before forming their current line-up which added Ian Bearer, Sean Martinez, and Ian Baker on vocals, bass, and drums respectively. This line-up recorded their second album, Dingir with the same producer from Embryonic Anomaly. The album was originally scheduled to be released on November 20, 2012, but due to legal issues, the album release was pushed back to February 5, 2013. In response to the legal push and a pre-production version of the album leaking on the internet, the vocalist, Ian Bearer, uploaded the finished album on his YouTube channel and put up the entire album for download via Total Deathcore.
On November 17, the band posted on Facebook and explained what exactly the legal issues were that halted the release of Dingir.

"For those of you who are curious as to what our "legal issues" were that halted the production of Dingir, and pushed it's official release date from Nov. 20th, 2012 to Feb 5th, 2013, we are able to explain them now. A third party was legally fighting us for the rights to our name using a loop hole method that renders the protection of our copyright obsolete in that specific circumstance. After butt loads of money was dropped in attorney and legal fees, we were able to keep our name as well as take precautions to ensure that this sort of thing never happens to us again. During this time, someone leaked an unfinished, poor quality pre-production version of our album months before our new release date. In light of the album being pushed back, and the leak, we decided to just stream the entire high quality finished version of the album on Youtube for everyone, as well as make it available for download, and put up the guitar tabs on ultimate-guitar.com for people who were interested in learning our songs. We know you guys had been waiting for the album long enough, and we would rather have you all jam out to the high quality finished album, than a poor quality unfinished product. This third party that was trying to steal our name away from us, and got our albums release date pushed back will not be named, because we know that you guys will go absolutely apeshit on them for doing that to us. We have full trust that you guys will support the band and still pick up a copy of Dingir when our album drops on Feb. 5th, 2013 so that we can hit the road again on tour, and hang out, and play for all of you guys! We are currently working on pre-order packages, a music video, and something else special for everyone that we will be releasing starting on our album's original release date of Nov. 20th, 2012!" 

Line - up
Ian Bearer - vocals
Lucas Mann - guitar
Joel Omans - guitar
Sean Martinez – bass

Ian Baker - drums

Review
Modern day Death Metal bands get a bad rap of sorts. They can stray too far away from the founding principles of their forefathers sometimes, pissing off the old guard and consistently fuelling the debate of what 'true' Death Metal really is. Enter stage left: Rings Of Saturn.

This young troupe play highly technical DM, with some of the more relative '-core' suffixes lightly dusted on the cake. It really is in the background, and you shouldn't let it immediately put you off giving these guys a fair shake of the stick. We all know how serious DM fans hold great disdain for that '-core' trend.
'Dingir' really is a very good release. It manages to be brutal enough to separate it from a lot of the modern crop of DM inspired output, while not alienating it from the more youthful crowd it will no doubt also seek to attract. 'Objective to Harvest' is a solid opener; all the key ingredients are here. Hyper speed double bass drumming, insanely fast riffing that seems to have been composed by a sadist. But there's also some synth effects and high end solos - because kids love video games and circle pits. There really is cross-generational appeal. It features some more chugging too, just to spike the communal punch and get the party started, like that kid that your mother warned you about.
The title track is pure guitar lunacy. Mathematical equations in sonic form. It's almost computer language in an audible format. Like two machines having a heated dialogue. The licks on this record do demand the most attention probably, but the skins should not be overlooked. The drumming is pretty sick throughout, and of a next-level quality. Like the guy got bit by a radioactive drum kit or something.
'Fruitless Existence' features some mellow lounge moments that would not have been out of place on early Dillinger Escape Plan releases, and is just as manic as that legendary band has the ability to be when it turns it's head and snarls.
Album closer 'Utopia' features some more classic guitar approach, and is maybe the most melodic piece of the entire set. It was also my choice cut of the bunch, nice and heavy with a satisfying crunch, but not afraid to embrace it's more calm side. All the while peppered with the occasional finger-blistering progressive solo.
These young men are surely destined to become guitar heroes for an entire  generation of aspiring DM fans. This is a solid affair that deserves due credit and attention, from old and young. Judge Rings Of Saturn by their merits, not their status. Highly recommended.

Words by : Matt Fitton

As always show your support to the band. You can buy their record direct from the band here or from Unique Leader Records here.  It is also available for DD here  Thanks to Hammerheart Records for hooking us up with the record for review.