Chicago, Illinois, has enjoyed a long and stirring rock and roll tradition. From the time the progressive guitar crunches of Styx, REO Speedwagon, and Cheap Trick first put this vibrant city on the rock and roll map, Chi-Town has played an integral role in the on-going evolution of commercial music. Now a young Chicago-based alternative rock band named Flood Ritual appears ready, willing, and more-than-able to add another exciting chapter to their home town's noble rock history book. As proven throughout their debut album, "Set Yourself Free," vocalist Jim Mullin, guitarist Ken Weiss, bassist Tony Bock, and drummer Charlie Costa have fully absorbed influences ranging from the classics of the seventies, nineties and today's modern rock areas and have filtered them down all through their own unique musical perspectives. The resulting musical brew is a true feast for the senses, blending bold, in your face guitar power, blues-driven vocal fury, soft shimmering ballads, and cutting-edge fisting metal into a swirling whirlwind of devastating rock reactants. This is heavy music that stands head and shoulders above today's field of cookie-cutter rock practitioners. Flood Ritual delivers their musical goods with passion, power and a perception that belies their limited time in the spotlight. "This is the kind of music that comes naturally and makes my emotions come alive," says Weiss. "It seems that all my live I have been waiting for this moment to bring what I feel out into the mainstream. Meeting this group of professionals that surround me today is the kind of thing that I have always been hoping for. It's been a long hard road of pushing and promoting what I believe to be the kind of music that moves people. I hope that all the people in our lives that have supported us and helped us though this tough time can enjoy the magic." Formed by these fast-found friends - after Weiss left his previous band on the New Years Eve, and Costa already joined with Bock, found Mullin hanging out in a local guitar store, it hasn't taken long for Flood Ritual to begin making their mark. First and foremost, there are the songs. Each one stands as a pillar unto itself, with all out blazing hard rock mixed with soulful and melodic brilliance make the band's varying influences and tastes all magnificently battle with one another for prominence. "We try not to do what everyone else is doing, we want to make a mark and stand alone." Mullin says with a smile. "We like to take a completely different approach to writing each song, but at the same time try to relate each one in some way to keep a nice balance throughout the entire project. Using common and uncommon formulas integrated with new and old ideas within ourselves seem to work great in making music that we are all proud of. We're not trying to mask or mirror anyone else, or go with or against the grain. This is just who we are and what we do to make ourselves feel good." From first song to the last, this is a musical project that shows a band flowing through in and out of itself into heavy riffing measures and smooth melodically dreams. This music created by Flood Ritual seems almost accidentally designed to send streaming shivers racing up and down your spine. While their approach on such tunes as "Lifeless" and "Touch my soul" can seem rather dark and mystical, there's always a positive thread running through the music. Bringing forward such empowering messages within songs like "Set you free,", "Greed", and "Real", it thankfully leaves the listener with the unmistakable feeling that this has been a musical journey well worth taking. "There were so many things that we wanted to do with this project, but we couldn't get it all into such a short compilation of songs," Costa said. The album was made over such a long period of time and it sort of evolved into what it has become. Chuck Alkazian, the producer decided to take this record in small steps. He made a world of difference out of this process and let it breathe. This album "Set Yourself Free," the debut album from Flood Ritual is an instant masterpiece.