Describing their style as "death jangle," Detroit's Ritual Howls blend elements of post-punk, industrial, film music, and musique concrète into stark yet enveloping songs. The band's approach proved to be equally distinctive and versatile, ranging from the sweeping spaghetti Western drama of 2014's Turkish Leather to the sleek, hard-edged sounds of 2019's Rendered Armor.
The trio consists of Paul Bancell (vocals/guitars), Ben Saginaw (bass) and Chris Samuels (Synths, Samples, Drum Machines). They collect samples of the physical world and feed them with guitar, vox, bass, synth and drum machines to create an aura of darkness over a pop sensibility. Paul Bancell provides lyrics that Poe or Lovecraft would approve of while Chris Samuels and Ben Saginaw sculpt sounds that bring his macabre tales lurching into the world of the living.
In 2012, they issued their self-titled debut album on Urinal Cake Records and a series of cassettes on Nostilevo in 2012 and 2013. After signing to Felte, 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. Following the release of 2017's atmospheric, Their Body EP, Ritual Howls delivered 2019's full-length Rendered Armor, a streamlined set of songs that focused on their industrial leanings.
