(1) Could you tell our readers about your band Starlight Ritual? – What kind of music do you perform, when was it established, etc.?
– Frontman Damian Ritual here. Starlight Ritual is a three piece band based out of Montreal, Quebec (Canada). Formed at the end of 2013 by drummer J.F. Bertrand and principal songwriter/guitarist Dan Toupin. I joined up in 2014 as lyricist and vocalist, but now handle bass and vocal duties. We play hard rocking heavy metal, and have two albums and an EP under our belt so far.
(2) Which bands or artists inspired you to play music?
– Mostly hard rock bands from the 70’s and some heavy metal bands spanning from the 80’s-00’s. Some people say we play 80’s metal, but none of us have mullets or wear white hi-top shoes, so to us it’s just straightforward heavy metal. Vocally we’ve been compared to Dio, Ian Gillan, Paul Di’anno and Steve Grimmett mostly. Musically, we’ve been compared to Rainbow, Black Sabbath, Savatage, and Grim Reaper. You listen and you be the judge!
(3) Who came up with the album cover?
– I’d say it was a collective band effort, and drummer J.F. Bertrand tracked down the artist to conceptualize it all. We are big fans of Frank Frazetta style art, and we hire local artists from Quebec to design everything you see from us. For this album, we chose to work with artist Marie-Pier Lapointe, who perfectly captured the vision we had in mind.
(4) Who wrote the lyrics for your album, how did they come to be?
– That would be myself, Damian Ritual. I wouldn’t say I have a particular subject I choose to write about. Most of my lyrics are just about life and trying to make the right choices. Occasionally, I’m inspired by classic literature or film. I try to not lock myself into singing about the same old sword and sorcery stuff more than necessary.
(5) Who created the logo for the band, and who takes care of the graphics and the website? What about you and social networks?
– The logo was designed by Annick Giroux (vocalist of Cauchemar, Tonnerre and Frissons, as well as the old manager of Temple of Mystery records). Guitarist Dan Toupin’s wife Emilie Léger is our principal designer and social media master; she takes care of us because we aren’t the most tech savvy. You can find us online quite easily, Google is aware of our presence!
(6) How many Shows have you played? Which type of gigs do you prefer, whether (Venues or festivals) and which of your performances would you consider as the best?
– We played a lot of local shows and festivals, including Montreal’s Wings of Metal and Quebec’s Considered Dead fest. We were fortunate to open up for and play with a lot of cool bands like Diamond Head, Grim Reaper, Pagan Altar, Anvil, Oz, and Voivod. Opening up for Grim Reaper was always something we were proud of. We finished our set with a cover of Dio’s “Rainbow in the Dark” and blew the lid off the place.
(7) who came up with the name of the new album?
– We always choose a song title from the album as the album title, and based off the cover art of three Rogue Angels cutting down anything and anyone in their path, the choice was simple!
(8)What is your favorite song to play live?
– The opening track “Marauders” off our 2021 release Sealed In Starlight always gets the blood pumping. “One for the Road” is a favorite as well. We’re looking forward to playing the new tracks live as well. We believe they best reflect the maturity level and capability of the band as it right now, and we’re damn proud of them.
(9)What bands are you currently listening to?
– Not too much on the metal front. I’ve always found broadening my musical horizons will better my abilities overall and as a singer/songwriter. Thanks to streaming services I do keep up to date on newer bands though, and fellow rockers and countrymen Freeways put out some great stuff in the last few years.
(10) How and where can your fans contact you? Can you provide some contact information?
– Messaging us on Facebook or Instagram I’d say, you can easily find us there, or by commenting on whatever videos High Roller Records puts out of us on YouTube.
