“Ritual Divination” is Here Lies Man’s fourth album but first recorded as the full four-piece band, including bassist JP Maramba and keyboardist Doug Organ who join cofounders Marcos Garcia vocalist/guitarist and drummer Geoff Mann. The band`s sound has been dubbed “What if Black Sabbath played afrobeat?” The latest release “Ritual Divination” continues with an ongoing concept of HLM playing the soundtrack to an imaginary movie, with each song being a scene.
The album opens with `In These Dreams` and it`s wonderfully heavy with fuzzy guitars, throbbing bass, pounding drums, and blistering organ and it`s clear to anybody that these guys have a respect for The Black Country`s finest, Black Sabbath. There`s a slow start to `I Told You (You Should Die) ` it`s almost sluggish as if waking up which it does to a fast-paced freak out with “You Shall Die” repeated as if a mantra over some great guitar riffs, bouncing drums and organ tinges along this psychedelic voyage.
`Underland` maybe the album`s shortest track but it chugs along with a driving rhythm and intricate riffs while the lyrics of “I can`t bear you…Underland” are hypnotically repeated. The trippy `What You See` is another quite mesmerising offering.
`Can`t kill It` had a more soulful vibe with the title repeated against a funkier background. We return to a more stoner texture with `Run Away Children` that enjoyed some cracking drum tones.
`I Wander` has an interesting groove running through it and wouldn`t have felt out of place in the soundtrack for Isaac Hayes` Shaft. There was a similar feel to `Night Comes` which to me musically painted a picture of a city coming to life when the lights go down.
`Come Inside` has a delightful quite tribal beat at the outset and becomes a marvellously spellbinding listen, I was drawn to this as a moth is to a flame. There seemed to be a more retro psychedelic sense to `Collector Of Vanities` it did stop and restart part way through this journey but never seemed to miss a beat.
`Disappointed` has a grandiose opening before it gains a slightly menacing ambiance then wanders off at a tangent before returning as the number concludes. I felt that the mainly instrumental `You Would Not See From Heaven` was a really spaced-out affair with some strange invocations or chants shared as it proceeds.
`The Fates Have Won` begins as if it`s summoning up something unworldly before sliding into a crazed but not quite manic groove that becomes superbly absorbing. I found `Out Goes The Night` a superb slice of stoner rock that had me totally enthralled.
The album closes out with `Cutting Through The Tether` and it`s a mesmerising predominantly instrumental out there musical excursion.
“Ritual Divination” is cracking blend of heavy, groovy, psychedelic tinged, trippy, hypnotic stoner rock. At times it has a slight malevolent undercurrent but it`s riveting, mesmerising, alluring and will almost induce you into a trancelike state. This is an album I’ll certainly be coming back to time and time again. Taking a tip from Timothy Leary, I’d encourage you all to “Turn on, tune in, and drop out” to Here Lies Man.
Rating 8.5 /10
