Ritual Howls

Detroit’s Ritual Howls blend elements of post-punk, industrial, soundtrack, and musique concrète into stark yet enveloping music. Featuring Paul Bancell (vocals, guitar), Chris Samuels (synth, samples, drum machine), and Ben Saginaw (bass), the trio issued its 2012 self-titled debut album on Urinal Cake Records and a series of cassettes on Nostilevo in 2012 and 2013. After signing to Felte Records, the band’s second album, Turkish Leather, arrived in September 2014. Two years later, Ritual Howls returned with Into the Water, which emphasized their country influences as well as their pitch-black moods. 2017 saw the release of Their Body, a five-song EP of atmospheric post-punk and dark wave-inspired songs. The Detroit trio’s fourth full-length Rendered Armor released in 2019 follows the Their Body EP with expansive arrangements sculpted with masterful production.