Line-up: Hardcore
For seven years, between 2005 and 2012, Ritual demonstrated the vitality of hardcore in Germany and Europe like few other bands of their generation. The intensity of their music unmistakably conveyed what playing in a punk band can still mean in the new millennium: a clearly felt "no" to authority and constraints, from which one can never escape forever – and simultaneously a passionate life within the Wolfpack. In other words: a momentum of youth, of friendship. A large handful of releases today point to long days and nights in rehearsal rooms, studios, and on the stages of Europe: The band released three albums and three 7" singles, played over 300 concerts in 19 countries, and in doing so created a unique sound that is still fondly remembered today. After four euphoric reunion concerts in 2022, the band felt that the joy of the power of the old songs remained undiminished, but even more so, they began to consider the possibility of writing new music. At first, this remained only a quiet wish, until in the fall of 2024, creativity suddenly bubbled over: Julian Laur de Manos, Deni Pavii, and Philipp Wulf, whose friendship continued even without ritual, now return 14 years after their last album. The new and fourth album, "Songs for the Haunted," is significantly enriched by the diverse musical projects that have taken place in the meantime (Messer, Die Negation, Orbit the Earth, All the Ghosts, Wire Love, Station 17, Die Heiterkeit, Joachim Franz Büchner Band). The first new single, "Silver Lining," is more melodic than ever before. The palette has expanded considerably, yet despite its strong recognition value, some striking facets have been added. While the old Ritual were primarily an angry band, here we hear a new hope—perhaps based on the sense of community that has always bound these childhood friends together and is now more than ever aesthetically effective. A positive exuberance radiates from the track, predestining it to be a radiant sign of life—"Silver Lining" also says: It feels great to be back. Thus, Ritual reveal themselves reawakened here as a hardcore band, heading into the year 2025.
fits.
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