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.

Featuring vocalist/guitarist Paul Bancell, keyboardist/percussionist Christopher Samuels, and bassist Ben Saginaw, the trio issued its 2012 self-titled debut album on Urinal Cake Records and a series of cassettes on Nostilevo in 2012 and 2013. After signing to Felte Records, 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. ~ Heather Phares, Rovi