Black metal and good old fashioned rock 'n' roll collide with an overture of schlock-horror theatrics that, when it works, is downright infectious -- and surprisingly, given the length of time that the band have been in creative limbo, this time round the formula hits a bullseye more frequently than perhaps ever before. "The Ritual" takes the best bits out of "Omens" (from _Symphony for the Devil_) and proves that not only has years of incessant touring taught the band a few new tricks on their instruments, but that even at their most self-serving Witchery are still able to deliver songs remarkably strong on ambience. The trouble is that -- as with previous Witchery offerings -- once the halfway mark is ticked over, all the band's tricks are well and truly out of the bag, leaving one with an entertaining but often unremarkable album.