Released two decades after its revered predecessor, WARNING's sophomore album 'Watching from a Distance' has become one of the most iconic doom metal albums of all time.

A five-song, 50-minute emotional blowout that showcases frontman Patrick Walker's distinctive vocals and songs that unfold at a glacial pace.

The new album, 'Rituals of Shame', follows in its footsteps, offering five tracks that combine Walker's tearstained confessionals with rich guitar tones.

Despite spending the last decade fronting 40 WATT SUN, Walker hasn't lost his ability to create heavy and emotive music.

The album's five songs deliver slow-motion jabs to the chin, driven by emotionally brutal lyrics that seem to flow from Walker's mind uncensored.

'Tonight, there's nothing that can reach me in the world outside / It's just another vast, aching hunger; an emptiness of another kind…' he sings during "Stations", and it's this sense of sadness, grief, loss, and detachment that permeates every inch of the album.

Although unconventional, 'Rituals of Shame' still taps into doom metal's existential tumult and self-validation themes.

With its snail's-pace maneuvers and chordal stoicism reaching a peak on songs like "Night Comes Down", WARNING's music is as unflinching as ever.

That Walker channels such extremes of emotion into gorgeous and exhilarating music makes the situation all the more poignant.

A shade less captivating than 'Watching from a Distance', but with the same potential for long-term impact, 'Rituals of Shame' is sure to capture hearts one at a time for years to come.