Interview with LUST RITUAL
!!!DOOM METAL FROM THE UK!!!
We had a conversation with Ieva Isabella Ruiz (Vocals). Enjoy!
Tell us a few things about LUST RITUAL (Members, Starting Year etc).
Lust Ritual are a London based 4 piece Doom band that started at the end of the pandemic in 2023. Myself and the guitarist Artie were long time friends and wanted to work together to blend both of our musical tastes. In the summer of 2023 we sat down and got some riffs down, shortly after we recruited our drummer Harry. Charlie is our newest addition on bass and completes the line up.
You have recently released your EP ''Forbidden Rites''. What is the feedback from your audience as well as from the press?
The feedback has been brilliant! There has been a lot of buzz around our sound we were pleased to reach the channel of 666MrDoom on youtube which allowed for a wider audience to access our music.
Label or DIY and why?
Currently we are an independent band, it is important for us to have creative rights to our music and which direction it goes. We are interested in exploring possibilities of working with a label if the right offer comes along.
Is there any funny or weird story from the recordings or from your live shows that you would like to share with us?
During the recording of the EP I did many different takes of growls and ‘UGH’ sounds, by the end most of them sounded like a dog barking we found this funny and kept it in. You will also hear our Artie take a crack at a few of these throughout the EP. For the rest of the fun stuff come see us live for the full experience 😂
Do you prefer Vinyl, Tape, CD or Digital Format and why is that?
I have always been a fan of Vinyls and am an avid collector in my personal life. In terms of getting our music out to the world digital formats have proven to be more accesible and practical. Once the full album is out we will explore other formats.
Your music style is Doom Metal. Which are your main influences (Favourite Artists / Bands etc.)
This is almost a Political question in our band😂Whilst our sound is leaning towards Doom metal we have a huge range of musical influences everything from Pentagram, Wino, Danzig to Crowbar and Tool. We have found it fascinating to see people attribute lots of different genres to us.
Which things do you think a band should sacrifice in order to succeed? Have you ever sacrificed anything in your life for a better future for your band?
I think many musicians will be able to relate that a band is like a family that comes with many ups and downs and all the same things you would have in a typical family setting. I think the biggest thing we have all sacrificed is time and our sanity at times😂
Describe your ideal live show as a performance band. Have you already experienced that?
Luckily yes! A positive and engaging audience is really the best we can hope for. We are glad to say so far this has been the case in all of our gigs. We are looking forward to play our first festival in August to a bigger audience at ‘Cosmic Vibration Fest’.
What attributes do you think that a new Doom Metal Band should have in order to gain identity and be unique?
No Black Sabbath washed riffs for starters😂 For us an honest and original sound has always been at the fore front. There is a big resurgence happening on the 70s era here where a lot of bands are bringing back the hair and fuzz. It is amazing to be part of this.
Do you believe that Digital Platforms help the new Doom Metal Bands? Which, do you think, is the ideal way for a band to promote its work?
Absolutely! Digital platforms have been a massive help to emerging bands as well as the more seasoned projects. We have seen the most buzz around Instagram and Youtube, of course no one platform is better than the other, the more exposure the better.
Tell us a few things about the New Underground Metal Scene in the U.K. (Bands, Fanzines, Webzines, Metal Clubs etc.)
I think the best thing about the London scene is that everyone supports each other as we're a close community of friends and lifers who just want to play heavy music and there are a lot of hard working people working in great venues that allow for that to happen. Emerging bands have always been supported and encouraged, we ourselves got our start in the beloved Helgi’s bar which is London’s Mecca for all things doom and psychedelic as well as the beloved Devonshire Arms in Camden which has stood longer than we’ve been alive. There is of course also Black Heart and venues like the Underworld and Dome that host international artist weekly.
Do you know anything about the Hellenic Metal Scene?
Is this new slang i’m not aware of?👀 I kid, yes we have heard of Greece’s overlooked black metal movement and have been supporting bands like Rotting Christ since the very early days. More of those please!
The last 4 years, worldwide in the world, we have faced many dark, strange & new situations in our everyday life (covid, lock-down etc.) Did all of this affect you positively or negatively?
I think Covid changed all of our lives and put into perspective the value of human contact and art. When the whole world stopped it was art and music giving us a sense of normality which is really a reflection of artists playing such a key and underrated role in society.
What are your future plans?
We are currently focusing on finishing our full length album which we aim to release by the end of year. We have a fair few shows booked to keep us busy and hope to see more of those coming. Festivals are also of much interest.
Thank you very much for your time & keep up the good work!
By Steve the Filthy Dog.
LUST RITUAL CONTACT:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554163901703
https://www.instagram.com/lust.ritual/
https://lustritual.bandcamp.com/album/forbidden-rites
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0LGyWqpByyXUiJyCCEw1Tl