Day 1

"Offen gesagt haben wir vor
weiterzumachen als Gescheiterte bisher
In Sachen Selbstverwirklichung
offensichtlich halten welche nicht soviel davon wie wir."
Blumfeld, 1994

It feels good to be back in our favourite studio. After making our way through all the snow we arrived in Oldenburg later than we had hoped. Therefore, we didn't expect this day to be very productive. When we came here to record "Beneath Aging Flesh and Bone" the complete first day was marked by impatience, cause all we managed to do was the drum soundcheck. However, today everything seemed different to those sessions that were also preluded by hectic songwriting and losing a bass player. Today we arrived relaxed, cracking jokes and having even more songs up our sleeves than we want to record.
But even apart from that recording goes pretty fast. We have just called it a day and only two songs are missing for the drums. Tomorrow morning we'll do these songs and then guitar is up next. The drums already sound massive even at this point of production.

Look at this lovely wall paper that has already inspired numerous bands.

We made this little campfire next to the drumset.

For the rest of the night we'll become slack as apparent in these pictures.

Let's have another chat tomorrow night.

This Sunday we'll start recording our new album

We've spent the last few weeks in our rehearsal room to finish the songwriting for our new album. Now everything's ready to be recorded and this Sunday everything's finally starting to take shape. We are really excited to say the least. These new songs are really taking us a step further, so we are curious to hear what kind of band we've become meanwhile. We will keep a studio diary on this very blog to discuss newest developments, maybe post some photos or even videos, so please keep checking this page.
There's still no title for this record, although there are some ideas floating around. It will contain ten new songs in like half an hour and it will be released by Reflections Records, this is certain.

If you have some time to spare, watch this video from our anniversary-show

This was filmed by Alex/FaceTheShow.com, thank you for capturing these moments.


"You swallow shit, you swallow everything they give!"

And while you're at it, we highly recommend you to watch this video from the Unbroken show in London one week earlier. This was surely one of the most intense shows we've ever witnessed. You know that was like we were playing with The Beatles or something.

It's the end of a year (there's another one coming!)

2010 was (and still is) a very pleasant year for us as a band. In March we played in Greece for the first time and then went on a European tour with ILLS from Finland. In summer and autumn we played a whole bunch of single shows. But most important we spent a lot of time working on new songs. This year ends with two killer shows, so make sure you're going to be there:

04.12. Burning Ice Fest, Mönchengladbach
18.12. Pazzo Shows Fest, Hannover

We're still busy finishing the songwriting for our new album. The studio is booked for the end of December and from then on we'll just see how long it's gonna take. We are totally excited about where these new songs are taking us to. It differs a lot from everything we've done before.
The two songs from Kissing Pavement were written during the songwriting process for the album, but they were chosen to be put on that 7", so they'd be deleted from the album. They just wouldn't fit on the album.
It's not that easy to say how this is going to end up, but it's going to be a hardcore record, that's for sure. Nevertheless, there are weird references we've been throwing at each other's heads such as The Doors, Quicksand, Blumfeld, Neu! or Nirvana. There aren't many rock riffs though. The new songs seem like an exploration of the question: Can beauty exist on a hardcore record next to the anger and nihilism? I'm not sure, if we'll be able to answer this question, but then again the unsolved questions are always the most interesting ones.

Meanwhile, I'd like to recommend this fabulous tune:

MySpace keeps digging its own grave

Everytime I log into our band account on myspace.com I get the impression something is even worse than the time before. Now they have launched a new version and it's just getting more awful. So once more here's our demand to follow us on Facebook rather than on MySpace, as we won't log in to that shithole that often anymore.
For urgent cases contact us through philippjwulf@googlemail.com

Please use this like-box below:


Thank you!

Reflections Records on the road

Here's our first tour announcement for 2011: From March 17 till March 27 we'll be hitting the road with the REFLECTIONS RECORDS package. The line-up features NO TURNING BACK, RITUAL, DEAL WITH IT, NEW MORALITY and MIDNIGHT SOULS (on selected dates). Most dates are either already set or comfirmed but if you're interested in booking this package, please get in touch with STRONGER BOOKINGS (strongerbookings@gmail.com).

On another note, we are working really hard on the new album. I'll get back to this in another blog entry very soon.

Between the weekends

Our birthday was a massive blast. Thanks to everyone who came out and made this a special evening. Special thanks go out to our friends in JUST WENT BLACK, SEED OF PAIN and LIGHTHOUSE and even more special thanks to ANCHOR who came all the way from Sweden and fuckin' Norway (true story!) only to play this show. That's what the word "dedicated" was made for, I guess. We love these dudes!

We're happy to finally be able to offer our new 7" at our shows (the limited edition was gone in the blink of an eye, thanks!). Tomorrow we're heading to the East for three shows together with REASON TO CARE and WAY DOWN. We're really excited about it. So come out, see us, say hi, pick up the new 7":

10-29 DE, Braunschweig @ Nexus
10-30 DE, Forst @ Buntes Haus
10-31 DE, Dresden @ Chemiefabrik

LOVE.

This Saturday: Our 5-Year-Anniversary-show

In general we believe that birthdays are quite overrated, but this specific one is very close to our hearts. Our band is now 5 years old. We celebrate this cause with a show in our hometown Recklinghausen on this Saturday. Luckily, our new 7" has arrived at the Reflections Records headquarter today with a massive delay. The pressing plant, for some reason, sent the records to the UK. No one knows what they were supposed to do there. Anyways, they're finally here. So at the show we'll have it for the very first time and we will sell a limited edition of it with an extra cover (limited to 55 pieces). So grab one while stocks last. No reservations or orders at this point.
ANCHOR, JUST WENT BLACK, LIGHTHOUSE and SEED OF PAIN are celebrating with us. It's taking place at AKZ Recklinghausen, König-Ludwig-Straße 50. Entrance is at 18.30. First band starts at 19.15 and it's all done at 23.00. Vegan food is also available, served by the infamous Tofuclub.
Party with us!

Unbroken show this Saturday

We have waited for this day for a long time now: This Saturday we will be supporting UNBROKEN on their only European show in London. UNBROKEN was one of the bands that got us into hardcore and therefore has a special significance in our musical socialisation. Needless to say, we feel privileged to be invited to play this show.

If everything works as planned, we'll be able to pick up our new 7" "Kissing Pavement" at the Reflections headquarter in Tilburg on our way to Calais, so we might be able to sell this piece of vinyl in London for the very first time.

Having played circa 250 shows in the last five years we don't get nervous before shows that easily. This show is different. So if you're there, please support us and make us feel that everything's going to be fine.

Greenest Meadows b/w Kissing Pavement

Today Reflections Records has begun to take preorders for our forthcoming 7" entitled "Kissing Pavement". To save yourself a limited piece of clear vinyl, visit this link to the Reflections e-store.
We have just uploaded both A- and B-side of the single. You can listen to it either on myspace.com/ritualeurope or on soundcloud.com/ritualeurope. The first track is called "Greenest Meadows", that's really nothing but a primitive punk rock song. The second track is called "Kissing Pavement" and it includes some samples that we recorded in the sunny streets of Oldenburg, but probably it's not going to be difficult to find out that this idyllic scene is not real.
We'd appreciate you spreading the word about this and/or telling us your opinion.

This weekend we are heading to Paris for one show and then to Belgium to play at Ziggypop Fest (alongside great bands such as MIDNIGHT SOULS, RISE AND FALL and MILLIONS OF THEM). Go there, if you can. Our two new songs will be presented live for the very first time.

L-U-V,
the Ritual 4