Review by Vladimir on January 16, 2024.

What do you want? Heavy Metal! Indeed, it is time for some more heavy metal extravaganza. This time, I’ll be covering the US heavy metal band Show N Tell from Phoenix, Arizona, with their debut full-length album The Ritual Has Begun, due to be released on January 26th, 2024 via No Remorse Records. 

The album starts ripping from the very start with the opening track 'Rip N Tear', showcasing some awesome full-throttle heavy metal action with fast riffing, crazy guitar solos, double-bass drumming and high-pitched singing vocals. This musical formula is carried over to the other songs, however the track 'Night Stalker' throws in a bit of that traditional mid-tempo heavy metal catchiness which gives it a bit of a breather before you go back into action with the awesome following track 'The Ritual Has Begun'. A simple yet brilliant banger on this album comes in the form of the fifth song, simply titled 'Heavy Metal', with the chorus that stands out with the simple words that say “What do you want? HEAVY METAL!”, amping up the energy with nothing but good old fashioned heavy metal attack. The band even managed to throw in a bit of emotion and melody in their music as well, taking you to other places when you let your mind go. Great examples of vocal melody are evident on the seventh track 'All Alone Tonight', whereas the final track 'Second Death' is when it truly hits you in the feels with this melancholic vibe that follows you from the first chord and onwards. The final track truly manages to bring the album to an epic conclusion with the closing chords that makes you feel like you’ve been on a rollercoaster of a journey. 

The songwriting is rather simple and traditional in the sense, without there being anything in particular that stands out, however it does show that the band’s overall approach was effective. There isn’t really anything to philosophize about the output, it is a heavy metal album with fun and entertaining tunes from start to finish, along with some exceptional examples. There is plenty of this album that feels enjoyable and some moments that will make you go wild, especially with the aforementioned characteristics of certain songs that truly define their essence. There isn’t anything I could add about the overall sound production, other than the fact that the album sounds great and that every bit of instrumental performance is spot on. 

No matter how many times I come across newer heavy metal bands who use the kind of musical ideas I have heard before, I will always find something in these kinds of bands that will hold my attention all the way through. Same here with The Ritual Has Begun, even though it isn’t anything stellar or outstanding, it did turn out to be an enjoyable listening experience and “if it ain’t broken, then don’t fix it”. If you are always on the lookout for some good ol’ heavy metal fun, check out The Ritual Has Begun by Show N Tell. 

Rating: 8.3 out of 10