Ritual Divination

Masters of both the riff and the groove, L.A.-based band Here Lies Man explore a psychedelic cross-section of Afrobeat rhythms and gnarled, fuzzy stoner metal. As a live entity, they are a tightly coiled quartet, but their first three albums were created in the studio entirely by co-founders Marcos Garcia and Geoff Mann. With fourth album Ritual Divination, all four members of Here Lies Man contribute, giving the songs a live feel and a new sense of urgency. Both Garcia and Mann have done time in long-running Afrobeat group Antibalas, and Here Lies Man feel like a 70s metal band waking up from a fever dream in the middle of a jam session with Fela Kutis band. Ritual Divination leans deeper into the metal side of the equation than previous albums, with some songs having only a trace of Afrobeat among the lunkheaded drum fills and dumbfounded riffing. Without the swells of dreamy keyboards and additional percussion, opening track In These Dreams could pass for a reworking of Black Sabbaths Children of the Grave. The pushy rhythm of Underland has the same outlaw intensity of early Judas Priest, but floating, drawn-out vocal harmonies and dubby production touches take the song to a decidedly non-metal place. Its the contrast between raw guitar riffs and otherworldly sounds that makes Ritual Divination so exciting and difficult to pin down. Keyboardist Doug Organs detuned synths add layers of weirdness to What You See and the merciless blast of The Fates Have Won. Similarly, Garcias vocal delivery isnt in line with classic metal screaming, but arrives cloaked in reverb and layered thick with airy harmonizing. Songs like the slowly building Come Inside and the menacing Run Away Children reshape elements of hard rock, punk, Afrobeat and even hints of prog until they blend into something separate altogether. Ritual Divination is a long record, with 15 songs and a running time close to an hour. Its a trip thats easy to settle into, however, with enough variety to keep the journey interesting even as the band throw out riff after riff of their Afro-metal hybrid. Hypnotic, visceral, and including some of Here Lies Mans most inspired songs to date, Ritual Divination is nothing short of epic. ~ Fred Thomas