Afterwards, Void Ritual contributed with three songs for a split with Barshasketh, band from Scotland.
Now, in 2017 Void Ritual is releasing its first album. It will be called Heretic Wisdom and will come out through Throats Productions on the 18th of August.
Lachryma Christi had the chance to interview Dan Jackson. Here is what he has to say.
How did the project arise?
Essentially, it was just a decision to make black metal in a
certain style. With me being just one person, you can kinda just decide to do
things one day and then do it. I wanted to make music that reminded me of 90s
Ulver and Darkthrone, so I just started doing it.
How did you choose
the band name?
A lot of people think of music as a cathartic experience,
and the name relates to that. It helps relieve the tension that comes from the
negativity we all experience in our lives. The Void Ritual , for me, means
releasing this toxic shit from my brain, and putting it into my music.
How would you describe your style of music?
Black metal. I try not to overcomplicate things in that
regard.
What music or bands are you inspired by and how do they
influence your musical output?
For the new album, Heretical Wisdom, the strongest
influences were Satyricon’s Nemesis Divina and Ulver’s Nattens Madrigal. Both
influence the way I write guitar parts, and Frost as a drummer influences the
way I program drums. There are also melodic Swedish influences, via bands like
Sacramentum.
How would you describe your upcoming album? How does it
differ or compare to previous releases?
Heretical Wisdom is probably a tad faster and definitely
more melodic than my previous material. It’s pretty blast beat-centric, without
much in the way of slowing down. It should be in your wheelhouse if you’re into
mid 90s Norwegian black metal.
What is it about the style/genre of music you play that
drives you to create it?
For me, black metal has always been the most expressive and
emotionally powerful metal genre. I’ve tried creating in other genres, and it
just doesn’t feel as natural or as “right” as black metal does. At least for
now, it seems to be the only way I can express anything and feel any pride
about the result. I’ve been listening to it for the last 20 years and no other
style speaks to me, or allows me to speak, the way black metal has.
Why did you decide to
create everything yourself rather than with a band? What are the
advantages of being a one man project?
I’ve been recording music on my own since I was in high
school. I never released much of any of it, because it wasn’t up to snuff,
production wise, but I stopped being in actual bands around 2005 or 2006. I was
in a band where we rehearsed in the drummer’s garage. He sold off all of our
equipment and moved out of state between practices and that put me off the idea
for a long time. Now, it’s just about convenience, and not having to argue with
anyone.
How would you describe your songwriting process?
I tend to use my recording software to help put things
together. It helps me remember things and I can kinda cut/paste things together
for reference. Sometimes it’s the guitars that sort of lead the way for a song,
and other times I have a specific drumbeat that I think makes for a good
foundation for something and I’ll write a riff to play into that beat. It’s
always music first, then vocals. I guess if I had any talent as an actual
singer, I’d try building songs off of vocal lines, like bands did in the 80s,
but without vocal melody in play, it’s a lot easier to just write lyrics to fit
what’s going on musically.
Do you think now it’s more advantageous to release music In
various formats?
Sure. Everyone has their own tastes as far as physical
media, and I’m not gonna fault anyone for what they like. People like what they
like, so why not give them a version of the album they’d like most? I’ve been
very lucky to have two different labels put out a CD (Throats Productions) and
cassette (Tridroid Records) version of the album. I’d love to do a vinyl
version eventually, if the interest is there.
Anything you would like to say to your current or potential
future fans?
Thank you for giving Void Ritual a shot! I’m still pretty
shocked that people enjoy it, so I’m grateful for anyone who finds something to
enjoy about the music. I’ll try my best to not fuck things up.
Read more about Void Ritual in:
Tridroid Records:
