1.Hails please introduce yourself to the readers?
BONES: I'm Bones, founding member and songwriter.
YMIR: Hails, I am Ymir. Vocalist/lyricist.
2.When did you first discover black metal and who were the first bands that caught your attention?Who are some of the current bands that have caught your attention?
BONES: In my early teen years I was really only into 80s thrash metal and didn't really listen to much else. At some point I heard Dimmu Borgir's second album, Stormblast. After that I remember blindly purchasing an Emporer demo at a local music store based solely on the artwork and thought it was incredible. For newer stuff I really like the most recent Sun of the Sleepless release and Elderwind. There's also a lot of random DSBM that I dig.
YMIR: When I was like 14-15, Dimmu Borgir was probably the first band, then all the 2nd wave Norwegian bands like Darkthrone and most importantly Burzum. Newer bands I like are Verwulf Tyrant, Windfaerer, Throne of the Black Moon, and I've really been digging Lord Furious.
3.Misanthropic Rituals was started in 2012 what gave you the idea to start this band?Are you satisfied with how things have progressed with the band over the years?
BONES: I was recording music at home mostly by myself since the early 2000s, even when I could barely play. At the same time I was always joining full-sized bands that never worked out so after so many years I said "fuck it" and decided to start releasing the stuff I was recording by myself. The only thing I really suck at is vocals so I started searching for vocalists. During the early days of recording demos I was still in college and working as a food delivery driver, relying largely on tips. Nothing will make you more misanthropic than having a job that relies on human generosity.
4.I believe Misanthropic Rituals is a two man band would you like to find more musicians to make a complete line-up?
BONES: Anything is possible for the future but it's not really something I'm concerned with right now. I move around a lot and me and Ymir, although both from Monmouth County, NJ, aren't even in the same country at the moment so that would have to wait.
5.A Path Through Absent Places is the band's second full-length release how long did it take you to write the music for the new release?How long does it usually take to complete one song?
BONES: Our methods for recording this album were a bit unconventional to say the least. I wrote the music in a period spread out over a couple of months and didn't start actually recording it until almost a year later. My friend Ryan had superior equipment to mine so I had him record me and mix everything. He sure took his sweet ass time though.
6.Who usually handles writing the lyrics for the music and what are some topics written about on the newest release?Which usually comes first the music or the lyrics?
YMIR: I can only speak for the most recent release. For that the lyrics I wrote were influenced by the music first, which is my usual process. The topics on the new release are in keeping with Misanthropic Rituals tradition of expressing contempt for humanity. There is also a strong strain of wanting to return to the solitude of the natural world throughout. Imagry wise in the lyrics I draw heavily on the Nordic mythopoeic, Lovecraft, and generally what I see in the world around me.
BONES: Misanthropic Rituals has always been a harsh critique of humanity with some inspiration from literature and even science. Human Dirt was essentially about a natural apocalypse wiping out humanity only to have new life coming back after so many years, including a new human species. But for this new release Ymir wrote the lyrics so it was a very different process than in the past. I wrote the music and let him worry about lyrics and vocals.
7.Besides A Path Through Absent Places are the bands previous releases still available for the readers to purchase?Besides physical releases does the band have other merchandise available if yes what is available and where can the readers purchase it?
BONES: Human Dirt is available for download on our BandCamp page. We don't have any shirts or anything at the moment but we hope to in the near future.
8.Misanthropic Rituals comes out of the U.S Black Metal scene what is your opinion of the U.S Black Metal scene?
YMIR: My personal opinion is that there are many people who aren't very much into black metal meddling in U.S Black Metal. But that there are a lot of great American Black Metal bands.
9.Who are your all-time favorite black metal bands coming out of the U.S?Who are some of the newer bands that have caught your attention?
YMIR: I'm from NJ so Krieg is special to me, also Leviathan is immensely important. Weakling also had that great release, and Wolfcloak will always be special to me because it was probably one of the first times I got to see Black Metal live. Currently like I said, Verwulf Tyrant, Lord Furious, as well as bands I've played with like Raven of Dispersion, Athame, Xeukatre, Galare. Also any band that was on the No Safe Spaces comp put out by Verboten Front.
BONES: As far as American black metal goes, I really like Agalloch, Leviathan, and Judas Iscariot just off the top of my head. Plus, of course, Basilysk whose frontman did the vocals on the first two Misanthropic Rituals songs.
10.Besides working in Misanthropic Rituals do you currently work with any other bands or solo projects? If yes please tell the readers a little about them?
YMIR: I am also the vocalist for the Black Metal band Degrader. We're a raw BM band from NJ. Lyrically and visually we draw a lot of influence from war, especially my time deployed in Afghanistan and our home area of Monmouth County, NJ.
11.What does Black Metal mean to you?
YMIR: Hate, war, Satan.
BONES: Ditto, pretty much. It's a philosophy that puts darkness in the foreground. The best black metal comes from a very real place.
12.Thank you for taking the time to fill this interview out do you have any final comments for the readers?
BONES: Thank you. Check out our new album and remember us in the future. We're not going anywhere.
YMIR: Cheers, hope you enjoy the new Misanthropic Rituals release.
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