Looking at the band pic, the RMR crew thought these guys emerged from somewhere out of the scorched US South. Around the Tucson/Tombstone area, where the rocks are gritty and the cacti huge. Y’know, good ol’ Wyatt’s ancient hunting grounds, now turned tourist trap. Thereabouts.
But not so. Obey The Sun hail from Hungary, of all places. But I gotta admit, they play their part well. The way they chew craggy rock just like ’em parched good ‘uns straight out of those dusty arroyos down there draws us like a bear to honey. Saguaro country comfort right there. Or do we have yet another tumbleweed connection? Meet Desert Ritual.
Well, it’s been a long time since a true sizzling-hot rock piece landed in our review pipe. The EP is full of echoes from the past. Of bands that brought this hard ‘n’ heavy rock feeling to life over at the review desk. Even if they live nowhere near those sunburned areas of rattlesnake country. Obey The Sun play a gritty version of Heavy Rock brought to you by heavy boots and the weight of imaginary oversized road warrior carts. Rock that shows some juicy slivers of potent iron ore.
The RMR crew liked Desert Ritual‘s approach to genre addiction. Meaning, none; exactly as it should be. The rock-fueled roar is constant, true. But you get influences from the whole frigging spectrum. Thrash, grunge, stoner, prog, alternative airs, a tiny bit of blues influence, it’s all kinda woven into a tasty fabric of grimy, razor-sharp rock, presented on a sturdy platter of unrelenting aggression.
And all of this ends in a tastily brutal amalgamation of what this crew wants to hear from a rock piece such as this one. What will come after Desert Ritual, we don’t know, of course. But this crew for sure won’t miss their upcoming full-length once it hits our review pipe.
Label: Eclipse Records | Web: Official Band Site
Release Date: 3 April 2026