U.S. deathcore outfit Rings Of Saturn find a brand new sound on their new album Ultu Ulla and what a sound it is. For those new to Rings Of Saturn, this is a band formed on the concept of alien life and outer space, and that is something that has certainly separated the band from the rest of the deathcore genre over the years. While some may think that is just some kind of gimmick that couldn’t be further from the truth with the band embedding the idea of every piece of songwriting, the band goes into, video clips and even their style.
It is that style that has undergone a huge change on Ultu Ulla. The line-up change sees classical trained guitarist Miles Dimitri Baker step into the Rings Of Saturn fold and that brings a very fresh sound to Ulta Ulla. From the flamenco guitar sound on ‘Unhallowed’ to the slower more classical sound of ‘The Macrocosm’ Baker brings something new, something brilliant to this album.
There is also a more electronic and intense feeling to this album than to anything we have heard from Rings Of Saturn in the past. ‘Immemorial Essence’ sees an almost industrial metal sound seep into the band’s sound while the heavy electronic sound on ‘Margidda’ makes it feel like inter-galactic warfare has broken out in the studio. Then tracks like ‘Harvest’ and ‘Prognosis Confirmed’ sound like the instrumentals have been lifted from 1960s sci-fi soundtracks and then infused with brutal death core – the latter also sees Baker step-up with some of the fastest guitar playings that you are ever likely to hear.
There is a rare brutality to be found with Ultu Ulla but also the alien feel that the band have created over the years is very, very prevalent. It’s strange but amongst the manic instrumentals of ‘Servant Of This Sentience’ it feels like an alien is there playing alongside the band as a weird feeling comes over the track while the fast paced ‘Parallel Shift’ contains vocals in parts that sound like an alien scurrying around in the background… it sounds weird but give it a listen and tell me that I’m wrong.
Ultu Ulla shows that when it comes to deathcore Rings Of Saturn are a band out there doing things their way. The new sound that the band generates on this album is amazing and is sure to win over a new legion of fans.
