Interview: The Ritual
Hello Marco and The Ritual,
thank you for the opportunity and interview request. I hope that you are fine? Here are my questions for you:
1. Please introduce your band to us first.
Marco: Hi Susi! The Ritual is a band formed in 2002 by Marco Obice and Luca De Vito, voice and drums. After many years playing as a metal cover band (Pantera, Metallica and Judas Priest), the band decided to create his own music and with the actual lineup (me at the lead guitar and Liuk Abbott at the bass) the band is ready!
2. How popular is your style of music in Italy? And how is the audience out there acting when they visit your concerts?
Marco: I think that in the last years the metal and rock scenary in Italy is growing. The success of many bands such as Lacuna Coil, Rhapsody, Tasters and Fleshgod Apocalypse helped metal in our country, and bands like Fury'n'Grace, Trick Or Treat, Ancient Bards, continued this perception on the people!!!
3. You played your last concert on 16 December at the Burnout Music Restaurant Café. How many people came to see you and which band supported you?
Marco: It has been a great show, the italian crowd is absolutely amazing! There was a local band before us and the people at the gig was really excited! We have a lot of dates in the future, so we can play live the entire cd! We think that the best way to show to the people is playing live, always, as you can.
4. You released two Demo CDs before you released your first album this November. Where did you record it and how long did you record? And what did the fan feedback say?
Marco: After the first demo in 2009, we started working on the full lenght.We wanted to give it to the labels as a promo, with a few songs, and we signed for the full lenght with Bakerteam Records. We recorded the album in a few months, around the end of 2010. Federico Pennazzato (Secret Sphere, Odd Dimension) has mixed and co-produced the album, with me and Marco Obice. I would thank Simone Mularoni (DGM, Empyrios) for the great work at mastering in his Domination Studios.
5. who’s the creative mind in The Ritual writing and composing the songs and what are the songs mostly all about?
Marco: Me and Marco Obice are the writers of all the music and lyrics of the album.We usually arrive at the rehersal with some ideas to show it to the others, so we can arrange the song all together. In the lyrics we talk about daily facts, emotions that mess up our minds.We don't like to use too much metaphors, we talk directly about all the things we have in our mind!
6. What are your plans for the upcoming year? Any touring planned...I mean outside of Italy for example. Or touring Italy... with Adimiron for example? I just thought about them because they have become very popular in Italy too from what I have heard.
Marco: Actually our goal is to play our album live so the people can know what kind of music we do. We're doing a lot of interviews in Europe and a lot of shows.We don't want to stop, we're also writing new stuff and we'd like to do our second album soon. Touring is a sort of thing that we would do after the second album. First, we want to have followers in all Europe.
7. Have you planned to produce some more YouTube videos in the future or are you concentrating on other things at the moment?
Marco: We're actually doing the best to promote all that we have and maybe in the future we're going to records another music videos...
8. What are the bands favourite artists and bands?
Marco: I love metal bands such as Nevermore, Devildriver, Killswitch Engage and other new bands like Architects, Scar Simmetry. I also really love new rock bands like Red, Black Stone Cherry, Alter Bridge and Rival Sons.
9. Is there any good advice you can give to young bands starting a musical career nowadays?
Marco: My personal advice is to believe in all that you have, do the best until you can. Music is an emotion that you must live, and only if you believe in it you can show to the others what you feel inside.
10. Last but not least it’s up to you to leave a nice message for all of my readers please.
Marco: Thank you, Susi for all the support and the time you dedicated to us.We hope you can enjoy our “Beyond The Fragile Horizon”. If you like metal music, in its heavy riffs, in its modern breakdown and its melodies, you might enjoy our album. See you on tour.
I thank you very much for this interview Marco. I wish you and family and band a peaceful Christmas time and all the best for 2012. Susi
© published 01 2012 by Rocket Queen *Promotion*