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Wow, what a change from Inkvisitor's Doctrine of Damnation debut full-length to their second album, Dark Arts of Sanguine Rituals. The title may suggest black metal yet Inkvisitor is still a thrash band, just one that has fallen off a cliff. I reviewed the debut as a fun Slayer homage and Dark Arts also possesses some quality riffs and solos, though not in the abundance of Doctrine. It's in the vocal department where things have gone south. The gruff, angry shouting has been replaced with a monotone, throat-rending scream that is so Phil Anselmo-inspired, you're going to think you're listening to a collection of Pantera B-sides and bonus tracks. When this singer croaks the chorus on "War is Path to Victory" all I can hear is Anselmo barking "WAAALKKK!!" I found my fingers on the air guitar a few times so musically this isn't awful, just less melodic and rife with early 90s thrash songwriting that is trying to sound tough, but the vocals are simply and incessantly annoying. Unless you like Pantera, I have one word for you: avoid.