MODERN RITES are the Industrial Metal duo of guitarist Berg (AARA) and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/lyricist Jonny Warren (KUYASHII). Building upon acclaimed 2021 debut “Monuments“, new album “Endless” unifies, elevates and perfects the band’s vision, ebbing and flowing between oppressive isolation and furious optimism in an anthemically intense exploration of the human condition.
Tracklist:
01. Prelude
02. Endless
03. Lost Lineage
04. Veil of Opulence
05. Becoming
06. For Nothing
07. Autonomy
08. Philosophenweg
The album was mixed and mastered by Simón Da Silva at The Empty Hall Studio. Cover design is by Jonny Warren.
Composer Jonny Warren discusses new album “Endless” and the enigmatic cover artwork:
“The title of the album sums up the idea behind the record. The lyrics in both the title track and album encompass themes around cycles of self-discovery, historical repetition, and ideological conflict. Each song marks milestones along a pathway that loops into itself as humanity is locked into an ebb and flow with each passing era. The aesthetic changes between the two cover artworks were a more organic evolution as we wrote more and more for the album. We knew we wanted to build upon the foundation of the first album, which in a metaphorical sense meant stepping outside of that sterile structure we built and surveying the landscape around it. For the artwork, we wanted imagery that represented the more human moments of contemplation and longing present throughout the album, where previously the artwork of the first album depicted a monument containing the inner self.“
Listen to ‘Endless‘, the title song of the new record, on DMP‘s YouTube channel:
Jonny Warren further shares insights into the creation of ‘Endless‘:
“While exploring ideas for the album, we knew we wanted richer harmonies and more synth presence, so a lot of ideas started on keyboard first. The title track started with a piano version where I explored the initial chords and melodies I then created bass, synth, and programmed drum parts based on the piano progression. The part that’s now in the pre-chorus and bridge was actually the intro at first, but we decided to chop up the original structure to create a more “grand” feeling overall.
Compared to the first album, there was a lot more virtual back and forth between Berg and I as we had a lot more layers to work with. We would often wake up to new contributions that each of us made to a song and then chat throughout our overlapping waking hours on ways to improve it. Additionally, I played bass in C-standard this time to match Berg’s guitars, where previously I was in E-standard. I think this gave some of the riffs a bigger impact compared to last time. Finally, we owe a lot of thanks to Simón at Empty Hall Studio for creating cohesiveness with the mix and bringing our vision to life with the overall atmosphere.“
“Endless” will be released on CD, vinyl and digital on August 30th. Pre-orders are possible via the label’s EU, US and Bandcamp shops.
MODERN RITES is an Industrial-rooted, melodic Black Metal duo founded in Autumn 2020 by guitarist Berg of Swiss Atmospheric Black Metal band AARA and multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/visual artist Jonny Warren of US Experimental Metal band KUYASHII.
Born out of experimentation and a mutual respect for each other’s craft, the pair began trading tracks across borders with the goal of creating a unique sound which would transcend cultural barriers. At the core of MODERN RITES is Jonny‘s heavily distorted bass sound inspired by dark Industrial music of the ’90s. The diverging, stereo bass paths create a desolate landscape in which Berg’s guitars are free to open portals into dark atmospheres.
Exploring the bleaker aspects of the human condition, lyrical themes dive into psychology, isolation, conflict, and the ever-evolving shadow self.
Impressed by MODERN RITES‘ quality and originality, Debemur Morti Productions released “Monuments“, a debut album which sets a vast, winding aural path for further experimentation to come, in 2021.
Building upon acclaimed debut, forthcoming album “Endless” unifies, elevates and perfects the band’s vision, ebbing and flowing between oppressive isolation and furious optimism in an anthemically intense exploration of the human condition. “Endless” is set to release on August 30th, 2024.
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