STARLIGHT RITUAL - Rogue Angels CD HRR 1044CD, slipcase Damian Ritual - vocals & bass Dan Toupin - guitars & keyboards J.F. Bertrand - drums 01. Lost Among the Fold 02. Rogue Angels 03. Crusaders 04. Far Beyond the Storm 05. Of Words 06. Omenkillers 07. The Law 08. On the Run 09. Exodus 10. Aftermath AVAILABLE

Starlight Ritual was born in Montréal, Québec, sometime in 2013, founded by guitarists J.F. Bertrand and Dan Toupin. It was originally Bertrand’s idea to start a doom/psychedelic project, and they soon recruited bassist Mat Forge and drummer Louis Lecomte. Dan and J.F. wrote a full-length album of doomy, heavy/prog instrumental music. Some of those tracks ended up on the band’s first self-titled album in 2015 (technically a self-produced four-song EP, albeit with a running time of nearly 40 minutes). Damian Ritual joined Starlight Ritual as a singer in early 2014, that’s when their style began shifting from doom to more traditional heavy metal. Since then, the band issued another EP, called »Age Of The Universe« (2016), followed by their first official full-length album »Sealed In Starlight« on Temple Of Mystery (2021). According to vocalist Damian Ritual, reaching out to High Roller Records seemed like a natural step: “Our original label, Temple Of Mystery (based in Québec), was sold or absorbed by a larger company. We got in touch with the former label manager, Annick Giroux, and she gave us a list of labels to contact once the new album was finished – High Roller was the first on that list. Plus, we had already noticed they were selling »Sealed In Starlight«.” Starlight Ritual’s first effort for High Roller is their second official full-length album »Rogue Angels«. “We recorded everything in our own studio in Montréal over the past year,” explains the singer. “Most of the music was written by Dan Toupin, with a few tracks by J.F., and I contributed certain parts and helped rearrange the songs into their final versions. I recorded the bass and all vocals, including lyrics and vocal melodies. J.F. played drums, and Dan played all guitars – he also handled the mixing and mastering. Dan’s definitely the hardest-working member of the band and has the most on his plate. The rest of us are just lazy musicians!“ Looking back to the very beginnings of the band, in how far has their style changed over the years? “A lot, actually,” is the answer. “Our early work featured longer, more psychedelic tracks meant for zoning out, but I never felt that truly represented what the band could be. On the »Age Of The Universe« EP, we started leaning into a more classic heavy metal sound. By the time we released »Sealed In Starlight«, we had really found our identity: traditional heavy metal with epic flair, channeling the likes of Manowar and Running Wild, as well as older influences like Thin Lizzy and Rainbow. We blend the styles we love and make them our own. If I had to put a label on it, I’d call it ‘Epic Hard Rocking Traditional Metal’ – if that’s even a real genre!” »Rogue Angels« (which Damien describes as “sharp, deadly, and to the point”) sometimes carries a bit of a Grim Reaper vibe. Would that be a fair assessment? “Definitely in the vocals,” confirms the singer. “Steve Grimmett (RIP) was a huge influence on me. Songs that showcased his range and power, like ‘Rock Me 'Til I Die’, were staples for me as I explored my own voice. He’s right up there with Paul Di’Anno, Tony Martin, Eric Adams, Blackie Lawless, and, of course, Ronnie James Dio – some of my all-time favorites.” A song like “Crusader” off »Rogue Angels« might even have been on one of the early Manowar albums … “That’s incredibly flattering,” finds Damien Ritual, “I consider the first four or five Manowar albums untouchable, especially »Hail To England« and »Sign Of The Hammer«.” “Far Beyond The Storm”, on the other hand, is a bit more rocky. “It is!,” confirms the bassist and singer. “As I mentioned, we’re big fans of bands like Rainbow, Thin Lizzy, April Wine, Blackfoot – and even some classic rock artists like early Elton John or Supertramp. Those influences definitely find their way into our sound.” “Exodus” is probably the slowest song on the album, an epic, maybe even a ballad, the closest to true doom metal possibly? “Exactly,” comes the reply. “It’s our ‘Heaven And Hell’ or ‘Egypt (The Chains Are On)’ moment. Every solid metal album needs at least one epic slow-burner – and what’s more epic than the Old Testament? Not much!” Nothing left to add to this, actually! Lyrically, Starlight Ritual present an interesting mix of different topics. “Omen Killers”, for example, is about the movie »The Omen« (of which a sequel was released not too long ago): “My parents saw »The Omen« in theaters in 1976, and that’s actually where my name comes from (and yes, Damian is my real name!). (How cool is that! - mm) I was skeptical at first about the prequel, and even right after seeing it, I wasn’t fully convinced. But over the next few days, the concept really grew on me. It actually made more sense – the idea of the Beast mating with a human woman to produce a human child is far more logical than the original’s jackal idea. The acting, cinematography, and effects were top notch. I still prefer the original, but the new one is strong in its own right. If you give it a chance, it just might win you over.” MATTHIAS MADER