Black Ritual is a Southern act with style and craftsmanship blending together thrash with hardcore to create unique melodies that has invaded their hometowns and now wishes to invade you. The band like many has gone through the band bases finding a name, line-up changes, brief touring and most of all trying to land that record deal. Black Ritual has gone through the darkness of Hell itself and has arisen to overcome everything. Leading up to a point on which their bassist (Eddie Cousins) spoke to me about everything the band has gone through and how the darkness came to be known merely as Black Ritual.
1. What type of band are you?
E-rock: We’re a heavy metal band we’re not trying to fit in any genre. We compose songs within the thrash/hardcore/melodies every song we have is totally different in its own unique way. We have a definite southern feel that provides the pride in ourselves to live on. To do what we do playing shows, being full of energy people will notice that quality studio sound and respect you for it.
2. Tell us the brief history of your band.
E-rock: We’ve been together for 6 years and counting right here from Charlotte N.C. Having gone through some member changes but have managed to keep the four original members through that time period. So we feel lucky for that. We are currently working on our second CD which should be out by the end of the year.
3. Who are your musical and non-musical influences?
E-rock: That would be a wide range of acts, Pantera, Testament, Acid Bath, Black Sabbath, As I Lay Dying, plus many more. We are very diverse in our musical influences I believe that’s what let us write the music we love. With every song we create it has its own uniqueness and riff that reminds you of the past, present and future.
4. What are your dreams and goals?
E-rock: We definitely want to take our dreams as far as we can. Get a record deal but mainly we want to hit the road out on the East Coast and then make our way out West until we’ve circled the entire globe. We’d love to go through the hell of touring, bus, food, the whole package deal. We shall of course see what’s in store for the future, and have to work just write music.
5. Who writes the songs, what are they about?
E-rock: As far as lyrics go our singer Chuck writes them all. He writes about real life situations, drugs, women, pretty much your main guy type of material you’d expect to hear from a metalhead. Music wise we usually start with a few guitar riffs then blend them altogether with each person’s ideas or opinion’s on how that song should progress and end.
6. What's your opinion of our President?
E-rock: Well my personal opinion (I can’t speak for them on that) I voted for Obama because I believed it was time for some kind of change in this world. Anything had to be better than what we already had.
7. How do you promote your band and shows?
E-rock: Well we try to do as much as possible - word of mouth--texting, MySpace mostly we try to have radio spots as much as we can. To make big money not just to play in our home town more than once a month or less, we want to keep our fans wanting to come back to see us. The music scene is still building and needs a lot of work. We’ve intended to change as much as possible while we’re still on this Earth playing. Our music can be found at You can find us just about anywhere online, CDBaby.com, iTunes, Napster, Reverbnation, Facebook, Purevolume, and MyXer.
8. Describe your show, visual and musically.
E-rock: Musically we’re trying to sound as good as we can be loud and in your face. We’ve put a lot of pride into our live shows, having the people walking away saying “Now that was a real concert”. Basically we want to rock out as hard as we can – many fans (men) have left the pit with something broken or in pain -like Dimebag Darrel said “If you haven’t left the stage sweating you ain’t done nothing.”
9. What do you think about downloading music online?
E-rock: I think it’s awesome it’s nice for bands well known and locally to have their music available on the worldwide web. It ends up hurting the record labels most of all but who cares about them anyway? If all there out for is to make money off you and then throw you away that’s not what the music industry is about.
10. What's your outlook on the record industry today?
E-rock: Well as I mentioned above, it’s hard to say without actually dealing with them as of yet. But it’s a money scheme I’m pretty sure. Even if it’s harder for bands like us who are not mainstream enough. For instance Top Forty Radio I think is eventually going to be a past time. Just like MTV’s type of music. But definitely for us the metalheads and underground hardcore scene to me it’s all about getting on the road with a bigger act that will pick you up and let you on a tour spreading the word of your name/whereabouts.
11. What's your claim to fame?
E-rock: I don’t know if we have one yet. I think for us it’s being able to stick together through all of the crap we’ve faced thus far. Not going down the lines of breaking up like so many bands tend to do after a year or so.
12. Tell us a story about a day in your life.
E-rock: Well work sucks everyone knows that unless you love the work you do. But to come home and think about what we can do as a band to make a name for ourselves. Think about girls, drinking, and then start it all over again. Two of us have a family, wife, and kids so that’s the number one factor to think about. As for the rest of us, we’re trying to get to that point! Otherwise we’re caught up in practicing, practicing, and more practicing!
13. What inspires you to do what you do?
E-rock: Our dreams, goals, just the love of music we’ve all devoted our whole lives for many years now. Now is not the time to give up. The way our fans feel about us – makes a real difference in a young metalhead’s life. Can’t forget about the love of the stage and that spotlight that shines down making you remember why you’re doing this to begin with.
14. What advice would you give to fellow bands?
E-rock: Get rid of the crazy girl who’s about to break you up. Haha – play as many shows as possible pay your dues and don’t try to go to the top of your game until you have what it takes.
15. What are some of your pet peeves?
E-rock: Oh there’s a lot….. Those types of cookie cutter type bands that can’t be original. Down to fans that leave right after their band performs instead of hanging around and talking to us. Right to bands that just sit around waiting to be paid for their work instead of interacting with the people around them.
16. How does music affect you and the world around you?
E-rock: Music is my life it’s an extreme feeling from good to bad. Everything I do revolves around music in one way or another. No matter if it’d be a Friday or Saturday night, or inside my band’s room the thought of music is constantly streaming throughout my body.
17. What's new in the recording of your music?
E-rock: We have been recording with Jaime King from Winston Salem - he’s worked with Between the Buried and Me, Seneca. All bands who have already gotten signed. So it’s brought our recording sound to a whole new level. We’re very excited about it, being able to see what the future holds for us.
18. What are the biggest obstacles for bands?
E-rock: I think it all depends on where you live. Some cities bands have more opportunities than others. With the well known scenes there, now around here it’s getting people out to shows to support all the bands around. When it comes to Black Ritual it’s the time for the killer. If we had all day to do just band stuff, writing, playing etc, it would make the world a lot different for us.
19. What's the best and worst thing about playing clubs/venues?
E-rock: The best is the people, seeing the fans drinking, having a good time rockin out to your songs and wanting to hang out and talk with ya -“The roar of the crowd." The worst would probably be not making much money for all your hard work.
20. Tell us about your next shows and why we should be there.
E-rock: We’re playing an awesome club in Charlotte called Amos Southend on August 28th. They have done nothing but support this band along with Tremont music hall. If you came to a Black Ritual show you will be hooked. We’ve turned many people over to the dark side.
21. What types of beers do you prefer to drink?
E-rock: I’d have to say Jager Bombs and Budweiser those are the drinks that get the real rockstar bursting out of you making you want to lose your mind from the inside out all night long after a great performance.
22. Any last words?
E-rock: I want to party with you Natalie!. :)
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