Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
HipHopDX
Okayplayer89/100
PopMatters7/10
RapReviews.com8.5/10

Ritual of Battle is the second studio album by underground hip-hop collective Army of the Pharaohs. Released on September 25, 2007 under Babygrande Records, the album features group members Vinnie Paz, Jus Allah, OuterSpace, Chief Kamachi, Reef the Lost Cauze, Esoteric, Celph Titled, King Syze, Des Devious, Doap Nixon, Demoz, and King Magnetic. Although he was prominently featured on the group's debut album The Torture Papers, Apathy does not appear on Ritual of Battle. While still a member of the group, he explains on a MySpace blog that he was recording with Styles of Beyond in Los Angeles during the Army's album recording sessions. The rapper recorded for one song, titled "A.O.T.P.", produced by Snowgoons, but it was not included on the album.[citation needed] This song was included on the Apathy compilation Hell's Lost & Found: It's The Bootleg, Muthafu@kas! Volume 2.

The album's first single is "Bloody Tears", featuring Planetary, Doap Nixon, Demoz and Vinnie Paz and based on the Castlevania tune of the same name.

Track listing

#TitleProducer(s)Performer (s)
1"Swords Drawn"EsotericFirst verse: Chief Kamachi Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Planetary Fourth verse: Esoteric Fifth verse: Reef the Lost Cauze Sixth verse: Celph Titled
2"Time to Rock"Celph TitledFirst verse: Celph Titled Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Vinnie Paz
3"Dump the Clip"EsotericFirst verse: Planetary Second verse: Esoteric Third verse: Celph Titled
4"Black Christmas"AktoneFirst verse: Planetary Second verse: Doap Nixon Third verse: Des Devious Fourth verse: Demoz Fifth verse: King Magnetic Sixth verse: Vinnie Paz Chorus: Demoz
5"Blue Steel"VandersliceFirst verse: Vinnie Paz Second verse: Jus Allah
6"Gun Ballad"Ill Bill & SicknatureFirst verse: Chief Kamachi Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Vinnie Paz Fourth verse: Doap Nixon Chorus: Demoz
7"Strike Back"DJ KwestionFirst verse: Planetary Second verse: Demoz Third verse: King Syze Fourth verse: Esoteric Fifth verse: Vinnie Paz
8"Frontline"AktoneFirst verse: Doap Nixon Second verse: Vinnie Paz Third verse: Planetary Fourth verse: King Syze Fifth verse: Demoz
9"Through Blood By Thunder"SkammadixFirst verse: Chief Kamachi Second verse: Crypt the Warchild Third verse: Demoz Fourth verse: Vinnie Paz Fifth verse: Jus Allah
10"Murda Murda"EsotericFirst verse: Crypt the Warchild Second verse: Des Devious Third verse: Celph Titled Chorus: Crypt the Warchild
11"Bloody Tears"DJ KwestionFirst verse: Planetary Second verse: Doap Nixon Third verse: Demoz Fourth verse: Vinnie Paz Chorus: Demoz
12"Seven"Ill Bill & SicknatureFirst verse: Planetary Second verse: Chief Kamachi Third verse: King Syze Fourth verse: Reef the Lost Cauze Fifth verse: Doap Nixon Sixth verse: Demoz Seventh verse: Celph Titled Eighth verse: Vinnie Paz
13"Drama Theme"AktoneFirst verse: Jus Allah Second verse: Chief Kamachi Third verse: Vinnie Paz Fourth verse: Doap Nixon Fifth verse: Celph Titled Sixth verse: King Magnetic Seventh verse: Demoz Chorus: Demoz
14"Pages in Blood"BeyonderFirst verse: Vinnie Paz Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Chief Kamachi Chorus: Demoz
15"D and D"AktoneFirst verse: Des Devious Second verse: Demoz
16"Don't Cry"JbLFirst verse: Doap Nixon Second verse: Planetary Third verse: Demoz Fourth verse: Vinnie Paz Chorus: Doap Nixon

Chorus / samples

"Swords Drawn"

"Time To Rock"

"Dump the Clip"

"Strike Back"

"Don't Cry"

"Bloody Tears"

  • "Bloody Tears" by Kenichi Matsubara, Masahiro Ikariko, Kazuhiko Uehara and T-San from the game Castlevania II: Simon's Quest