RITUAL – The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1

Swedish prog rockers Ritual are back on the musical radar following a painfully long hiatus, but judging by the quality of the sprawling epics that constitute this grand-sounding opus of theirs, they have spent their time between albums wisely as The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1 displays great skill and songwriting talent. Clearly worth the wait then, but what about the actual music? Well, it expertly takes you through symphonic pop prog, pomp rock, hard-hitting outburst, and pastoral, folk-esque sequences. While obviously leaning towards 70s prog in certain respects, the album has a timeless appeal to it and undoubtedly possesses a modern edge as well.

Warm, accessible, and harboring plenty of dynamics, the record is neither predictable nor without its fair share of clever twists and brain-melting turns, but what is arguably its biggest draw to these ears is how effortlessly it moves from an atmosphere of stark vulnerability to playful and almost mischievous explosions of sound that carry with them a prevailing sense of the uplifting. From the wistful and whimsical to the frantically heavy and outright melancholy, Ritual have spawned a remarkably cohesive LP that packs a delightful punch, is large in scope, and delivers lots of drama. The sheer scope of the riveting is thing is utterly impressive, and I am very keen to hear the second part of Mr. Bogd’s story.