Ritual of Battle
# Ritual of Battle

Professional ratings :

| Review scores ||
| - | - |
| Source | Rating |
| HipHopDX | link |
| Okayplayer | 89/100 link |
| PopMatters | 7/10 link |
| RapReviews.com | 8.5/10 link |

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. 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

| # | Title | Producer(s) | Performer (s) |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1 | "Swords Drawn" | Esoteric | First 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 Titled | First verse: Celph Titled Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Vinnie Paz |
| 3 | "Dump the Clip" | Esoteric | First verse: Planetary Second verse: Esoteric Third verse: Celph Titled |
| 4 | "Black Christmas" | Aktone | First 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" | Vanderslice | First verse: Vinnie Paz Second verse: Jus Allah |
| 6 | "Gun Ballad" | Ill Bill & Sicknature | First verse: Chief Kamachi Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Vinnie Paz Fourth verse: Doap Nixon Chorus: Demoz |
| 7 | "Strike Back" | DJ Kwestion | First verse: Planetary Second verse: Demoz Third verse: King Syze Fourth verse: Esoteric Fifth verse: Vinnie Paz |
| 8 | "Frontline" | Aktone | First verse: Doap Nixon Second verse: Vinnie Paz Third verse: Planetary Fourth verse: King Syze Fifth verse: Demoz |
| 9 | "Through Blood By Thunder" | Skammadix | First verse: Chief Kamachi Second verse: Crypt the Warchild Third verse: Demoz Fourth verse: Vinnie Paz Fifth verse: Jus Allah |
| 10 | "Murda Murda" | Esoteric | First verse: Crypt the Warchild Second verse: Des Devious Third verse: Celph Titled Chorus: Crypt the Warchild |
| 11 | "Bloody Tears" | DJ Kwestion | First verse: Planetary Second verse: Doap Nixon Third verse: Demoz Fourth verse: Vinnie Paz Chorus: Demoz |
| 12 | "Seven" | Ill Bill & Sicknature | First 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" | Aktone | First 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" | Beyonder | First verse: Vinnie Paz Second verse: Demoz Third verse: Chief Kamachi Chorus: Demoz |
| 15 | "D and D" | Aktone | First verse: Des Devious Second verse: Demoz |
| 16 | "Don't Cry" | JbL | First verse: Doap Nixon Second verse: Planetary Third verse: Demoz Fourth verse: Vinnie Paz Chorus: Doap Nixon |

## Chorus / samples

"Swords Drawn"

* "Suspiria" by Goblin from the album Suspiria
* "Beneath the Planet of the Apes" sample.
* "The Resurrected" sample.

"Time To Rock"

* "Rhyme Tyme" by Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo from the album Rated XXX
* "As The Rhyme Goes On" by Eric B. & Rakim from the album Paid in Full
* "Put It On" by Big L from the album Lifestylez ov da Poor & Dangerous
* "Parental Discretion" by Big Pun from the album Capital Punishment
* "Mad Scientist" by Large Professor from the album The LP

"Dump the Clip"

* "Godzilla Theme Tune" by Akira Ifukube from the movie Godzilla vs. Gigan
* "Deathstalker" quote by Rick Hill
* Raiders of the Lost Ark sample

"Strike Back"

* "Halftime" by Nas from the album Illmatic

"Don't Cry"

* "Don't Cry, Baby" by Etta James from the album The Second Time Around

"Bloody Tears"

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