LEGION: RITUALIS - ''Nihilistic themes serve as a reminder that nothingness awaits''

Inspired by classical composers such as J.S. Bach, R. Wagner, I. Stravinsky & the writings of H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Allan Poe, Aleister Crowley is LEGION: RITUALIS. A project that stands alone as a unique wildly original interpretation of dark noir, the merging of industrial and classical and the visceral connection of Black metal. The duo’s superb debut piece of art ‘Rites of Futility' is an experience like no other with the deconstruction of rhythmic timings, swathes of classical piano, the duality of both beautiful and not so set against some inherently apocalyptic soundscapes. It is a dream vs nightmare and thus the source of the band’s creation.

Legion: Life’s beauty & ugliness- the ancient dichotomy that is the epitome of opposites.

Ritualis: The Absurdism of life, where one should both accept this & rebel against it by embracing what life has to offer, hence creating L: R to reflect this.

Your meeting and the decision to make LEGION: RITUALIS a unique piece of art?

Legion: We knew each other for a long time already & were keen to start a martial/ industrial project. We decided to go for apocalyptic themes with Black Metal undertones. We didn’t focus on trying to be unique, the emphasis was on creating dark yet inspiring music.

The connection of Legion: Rituals to classical music?

Legion: I grew up in a classical music household & from a young age, attended-all these performances, operas etc. with the family. It was fascinating to witness the ‘drama’ unfolding onstage. I was really drawn towards the darker, heavier stuff of Bach, Wagner & Beethoven. So, when putting together material for Legion: Ritualis, there is definitely a deep connection to those past influences.

Ritualis: Listening to Stravinsky at a very young age, put me on a path to classical & Avantgarde expressionist music, which eventually led me to gothic/industrial music as a creative outlet.

And it's a dark ritualistic connection?

Legion: Discovering the occult via music, I was fascinated by black magicians who claimed to have tapped into this so-called dark universal energy. When creating my own music, I feel like I'm also a part of this energy, which I find to be quite empowering & ritualistic.

Ritualis: I don’t see it as a dark connection but more embracing all facets of life through a raw, almost primal need to create sounds that hopefully, touches someone’s inner self with genuine truth.

Your use of string sections and piano used as an extreme counterpoint to the guitar?

Legion: Yes. Legion: Ritualis is all about the duality- beauty & emptiness, classic & contemporary, existence & oblivion. So, the heavier guitar parts are the balance to the more melodic classical instruments.

its use is particularly haunting on Messaline Part 1 with the spoken word. Where does the inspiration come from?

Legion: One of the occultists I’m intrigued by is Aleister Crowley & after forming Legion: Ritualis, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to use his work on our debut.

The various vocal techniques and styles? with both male and female vocals.

Legion: The male & female vocal idea was there from the outset. That is the embodiment of L: R rituals- the duality. The different vocal layers give the songs more depth & make them more interesting.

It also has some dark industrial moments that do not rely on traditional percussion.

Legion: Yes, with this music style, industrial moments/ sections are pretty much mandatory. It is one of the reasons why I always wanted to do such a project, as there are just so many options when it comes to creating this kind of ambience, mood & rhythm. This can also be used to create gateways, bridges within the song & give it 'life'. Traditional percussion would not normally suit this kind of style but can work if applied in a specific way.

It elevates your music to something truly haunting. Is the atmosphere of utmost importance?

Legion: Definitely. With each track being part of a ‘ritual,’ the emphasis is on the atmosphere, manifesting the right sounds to capture the vibe. We will continue to utilise this formula.

Yet it is also extreme with definite black metal connections? Is it the spirit of black metal that infuses the music rather than its sound?

Legion: Both are essential. L: R shares a spiritual union with the black metal atmosphere. But we also added the guitar parts to open another sphere, within the Martial/ Industrial soundscapes. Adding another pathway to the 'ritualistic journey'.

It’s got a tangible sense of nihilism. Is hatred universal and all encompassing?

Legion: Great question. It’s not really hatred of the universe. It’s accepting the ‘bleak fate’ that encompasses every living thing. Yes, the end is coming & nothing can stop it. Hence now is the time to seize the moment. The nihilistic themes serve as a reminder that nothingness awaits, so it is now that we must ‘expose the rituals. Memento Mori.

Ritualis: Life is absurd, the only thing certain is Death, so it makes sense to rebel & embrace what life has to offer- its beauty and darkness.

Is the end of Aeturnum Fortuna inevitable? To grow must everything be destroyed?! Its denouement is almost introspective rather than bombastic?

Legion: Nothing can stop death, which makes every moment alive even more special. To grow, certain aspects of ‘destruction’ are of course necessary. Your greater self will need to destroy the weaker version, in order to move forward. But as everything will destroy itself eventually (beware the approaching entropy), the focus while alive should be on the things that truly matter. So, the denouement is both introspective & bombastic, as both are relevant.

Ritualis: It is a lament about the inescapable power of fate. Having said this, I do believe we are in charge of our own destiny.

Future plans? What’s next for the project and your videos?

Legion: We are excited to say that we are now working with Gladivs Records & Brümes (Productions) & will be releasing physical copies of our debut album 'Rites of Futility', towards the end of the year. We are really looking forward to this & will have more updates soon. There are also new videos in the works. We have enjoyed putting together past clips & it is a great way to get our music out there. We gathered some interesting footage, so plenty of material to work with. We also began composing new material- so definitely no rest for the wicked.

Tops six albums of all time?

Legion: In relation to Legion: Ritualis, my influential 6 releases are:

-Beherit- H418ov21.C

-Funeral Mist- Devilry

-MZ.412- Burning the Temple of God.

-In Slaughter Natives- Sacrisants Bleed

-Diabolos Rising- Blood, Vampirism, Sadism

-Rosa Crux- In Tenebris

Ritualis:

-Christian Death - Only Theatre of pain

-Ulver- Madrigal of the Night – Eight Hymns to the Wolf in Man"

-Fields of the Nephilim- The Nephilim