Monday, August 7, 2017

Interview: Void Ritual (USA)

Void Ritual is a one man project by Daniel Jackson. In 2014 Void Ritual released its first EP called Holodomor and the reaction was very positive.
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: