Modern Rites is a new Industrial-rooted, melodic Black Metal duo formed by guitarist Berg of Swiss Atmospheric Black Metal band Aara and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/visual artist Jonny Warren of US experimental metal band Kuyashii. Having crafted their first album Monuments, they signed a deal with Debemur Morti Productions and will unleash their debut on 27 August.
Debemur Morti Productions herald the coming of the first song, namely ‘Self Synthesis’, which can be streamed on Bandcamp and on YouTube – and below!
The core of Modern Rites is Jonny’s heavily distorted bass sound inspired by dark Industrial music of the early ‘90s: the diverging, stereo bass-paths create a desolate landscape in which Berg‘s guitars open portals into dark atmospheres with crushing riffs, anthemic tremolo leads and diverse textural work. Seven such compositions may be found on Monuments.
Full tracklisting:
01. Intro
02. Vigilance Eternal
03. Black Wolf
04. Unburdened
05. Self Synthesis
06. Nothing Left To Give
07. Machine Paradox
Monuments was recorded by Modern Rites. Joseph Calleiro took care of the mixing and the mastering at Dungeon By The Sea, USA. Cover artwork was designed by Jonny Warren.
Modern Rites are:
Archytekt (Jonny) – Bass, Rhythm & Synths, Vocals
Katalyst (Berg) – Guitars
Pre-orders are available via the label: EU – https://www.debemur-morti.com/en/12-eshop) – US – https://debemurmorti.aisamerch.com/ and Bandcamp – https://dmp666.bandcamp.com/ shops!
More info about the band: https://www.facebook.com/ModernRites-106883757944599
Debemur Morti caught up with the band to learn a bit more about the release.
DMP: On 22 June we are going to unveil the first track for your coming album Monuments, namely ‘Self Synthesis’. Could you elaborate for us how this specific song was composed, how long you worked on it and what the most challenging aspects of writing this song were? And how do you and Berg combine your composed elements?
Jonny: The composition for ‘Self Synthesis‘ began with bass and drums first. Being the last track we wrote for the album, our process of sending tracks back and forth had become fairly optimized. With the bass as a foundation for our songs, it has been fun challenging Berg with interesting structures and seeing what guitar parts he’s able to elevate the foundation with. I think you can really hear us getting comfortable writing together as we pushed each other’s musical limits on this track. It took us a couple rounds of passing it back and forth and light restructuring until completion.
DMP: ‘Self Synthesis’ is a forward going, spherical, yet at the same time highly melodic composition – why do you think is it the perfect first song to be revealed from Monuments? What makes this composition special?
Jonny: ‘Self Synthesis‘ encompasses everything we wanted out of our debut in terms of lyrical theming and immersive sound. The song is an introspection of inner conflicts and the outside factors that create them, which is a recurring theme throughout Monuments.
DMP: May you elaborate for us more in detail about the general aesthetics behind the music on Monuments, and also the visual representation on, for example, the cover artwork? Which art, which music was most important on your path for creating music with Modern Rites?
Jonny: For Monuments we chose to focus on the human condition and dive into internal and external conflicts that exist in the modern world. By combining the darker elements of Industrial music with poignant melodies, our goal is to create an atmosphere that encompasses these themes and lays the groundwork to explore them further. The cover artwork, which is my interpretation of a famous hotel atrium in Atlanta, represents the inner workings of the mind and the psychological monuments we all carry inside. Brutalism, Industrial and melodic Black Metal, and psychology are a few of the elements that initiated the path for Modern Rites.
