Canada's STARLIGHT RITUAL set release date for TEMPLE OF MYSTERY debut album

oday, Temple of Mystery Records announces June 2nd as the international release date for the highly anticipated debut album of Canada's Starlight Ritual, Sealed in Starlight, on CD and vinyl LP formats. Starlight Ritual is a five-piece traditional heavy metal band from the outskirts of Montreal. Originally the brainchild of guitarist JF Bertrand, Starlight Ritual started as a heavy/doom metal project in late 2013, recruiting principal songwriter and guitarist Dan "The Man" Toupin, bassist Mat Forge, and drummer Big Lou Lecomte.   Having auditioned many singers to no avail, Starlight Ritual reached out to Damian Ritual (who at the time had no prior singing experience), on a recommendation from a friend after hearing him sing over songs at a local concert. In late 2014 (under the engineering skills of April Wine's Roy Nichol), the band recorded their first self-titled EP at Dreambuilder Studios. The EP was independently released, and picked up by German label Underground Power in 2016.   Shifting more towards a traditional hard rock/heavy metal sound, Starlight Ritual released the Age of the Universe EP through Temple of Mystery Records in 2017, which was reissued one year later on France's La Fin Du Monde label. After opening for classic acts such as Diamond Head, Pagan Altar, Grim Reaper, Anvil, and taking part in the Wings of Metal festival, the band took a break and focused on their debut album, which is due to be out in June 2021 through Temple of Mystery.   Combining the rough attitude of Motörhead and Accept with the flawless execution of Rainbow and Judas Priest, Sealed in Starlight captures the essence of a precision high-energy sonic blitz. Here, Starlight Ritual ascend a mountain of raw iron, armed with epic hymns, memorable riffing, and skull-crushing vocals reminiscent of Ian Gillan and the late Ronnie James Dio. The Montreal rockers have been steadily sharpening their steel since 2014, and their presence on Temple of Mystery's Trapped Under Ice compilation refined that edge into a lethal blade.   Starlight Ritual are here to stake their claim to a throne amongst the immortals, and their fatal brand of TRUE CANADIAN HEAVY METAL delivers a timeless and deadly strike to the ears: commanding in nature, and second to none. First track premiere and preorder info to be announced shortly. Cover art, courtesy of C. Undirheimar, and tracklisting are as follows:   Tracklisting for Starlight Ritual (Canada)'s Sealed in Starlight 1. The Bell [1:20] 2. Marauders [5:01] 3. One for the Road [4:4] 4. Burning Desire [4:03] 5. Sealed in Starlight [8:23] 6. Civilization Lost [5:36] 7. The Riddle of Steel [6:31] 8. Lunar Rotation [6:35] 9. Righteous Ones [4:51] MORE INFO: www.facebook.com/starlightritual www.starlightritual.bandcamp.com  www.templeofmystery.ca www.facebook.com/templeofmysteryrecs