Warning – Rituals of Shame Review: Doom Metal from United Kingdom (2026)

Warning – Rituals of Shame album cover, doom metal United Kingdom 2026

 

Artist: Warning
Origin: United Kingdom
Label: Relapse Records
Released: June 19, 2026
Genre: Doom Metal
Rating: 7/10
Listen/Buy: Bandcamp

Rituals of Shame has been a highly anticipated album. It's been 20 years since Warning released Watching from a Distance, and now they return with five tracks and around 45 minutes of new music.

I'll be honest , i was a bit scared to review this one. This is a strong album. Strong in many different ways. There's so much emotion here, with plenty of longing, self-loathing and all that kind of crap.

This is very melancholic doom metal. The music is extremely slow and built around heavy guitars, dark melodic parts and long build-ups. Most of the time it works, but there are moments when it drags out. Some parts could have been a little shorter without losing the atmosphere.

The album deals with guilt, shame, longing and love. The vocals carry much of the emotion, and they are very good. Really fucking good! They fit the darkness of the album perfectly.

The guitars bring both weight and some great melodic details. The bass and drums keep everything moving without making it too complicated. The production is clear, powerful and warm. The bass has more weight this time, which makes it easier to listen to and gives the music even more depth.

Stations is one of my favorites. It feels darker and has even more emotion than much of the album. Teacher is another strong track and closes the album with a slow build towards an emotional climax.

Rituals of Shame is a strong and deeply melancholic doom album, but some of the slow and wandering build-ups become a little too much.

Rating: 7/10

I'll be spinning more albums — stay tuned!

Hauk





If you enjoyed this, check out:
Eternal Mourn – Winds of Sorrow Review
Sojourner – Gateways Review
Enshine – Elevation Review
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