Formed from the remains of frontman Matt Ryan Tobin's previous group Dead and Divine, Ritual ditches the clean, soaring emo choruses that helped the former band to success and instead focuses squarely on pounding, unforgiving metalcore. The self-titled album is essentially a 40-minute-long punch to the face, with dissonant, angular guitar riffs and Tobin's harsh barks creating an impermeably claustrophobic sonic environment.