Swedisch Prog Rockers RITUAL Share Video Trailer for Upcoming Album!
Much curiosity was aroused when Karisma Records recently announced the details of the upcoming album from Swedish Prog Rockers RITUAL. Primarily because this was to be the band's first release in 17 years, but also because the title The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1, implied that therein there is a tale to be told!
And indeed there is, because, as fans of the band will know, RITUAL are quite adept at storytelling, as their previous five albums have shown, and this time they have chosen to tell the tale of Mr Bogd, an affluent, well-established member of society who comes to the realisation that his life holds no satisfaction for him. But what else can he do? Well, he can leave his job and his comfortable urban life and seek out an alternative.
So, together with his coachman Parkhurst, and, riven with doubts, but convinced of the rightness of what he is doing, off he sets on a journey through an increasingly wild and dangerous environment.
And now, thanks to the vivid imagination of artist Javier “Canelito” Herbozo, we are being afforded not just a musical glimpse into The Story of Mr. Bogd – Part 1, but also a visual one, in the form of a Video Trailer that can be seen on YouTube at: https://youtu.be/cbTn7wNk7yM
Ritual - The Story Of Mr. Bogd - Part 1 (Official Trailer)
With The Story of Mr. Bogd - Part 1, Ritual has created a blissful blend of road movie, classic fairytale, buddy movie and adventure epic, set in an imaginary land and era reminiscent of late 19th century Europe. All delivered with music that covers a large amount of stylistic ground, ranging from intense and powerful rock, to musically elaborate and intricate tracks, along with some odd and even quirky moments, and of course some acoustic, folky songs.
The Story of Mr. Bogd - Part 1 features artwork by Javier “Canelita” Herbozo, no strangers to the art of the "concept" album, indeed they have often been inspired by Tove Jansson’s novels about the Moomins, Ritual's new album forms the first part of the story of Mr Bogd, the oddly named protagonist who, as an established member of society and an affluent individual, realises that the life he is living is deeply unsatisfactory. The result of this revelation is that our Mr. Bogd suffers a mid-life crisis so deep that he sees no other alternative than to leave his job and his comfortable urban lifestyle.
It is an act of pure desperation - a decision taken without having any clear idea of what it is he is actually looking for. He therefore frequently falls prey to moments of doubt, yet, deep inside of him, there are insistent memories and strong sensations that constantly drive him forward on a journey that, together with coachman Parkhurst, leads Mr. Bogd through an increasingly wild, imaginative and dangerous environment.
In short, it's a story about forsaking what we know, what is safe, and what is all mapped out, in favour of an ideal of what constitutes the natural world. That distant, unlit, unknown, destination, whilst at the same time exploring why anyone would want to do such a thing. At its heart it is a story about maintaining your innocence, and finding sanity and self- esteem, and what one is ready to give up in order to do so.
The Story of Mr. Bogd - Part 1 will be released in CD, Digital and Limited Edition Transparent Violet Vinyl LP formats, and is now available to pre-order from:
Official label store: https://www.karismarecords.no/shop
US store: https://karismarecords.indiemerch.com/pre-orders
Bandcamp: https://ritualsweden.bandcamp.com/album/the-story-of-mr-bogd-part-1
When they formed in 1993, Ritual immediately established a distinct progressive style that is very much their own. Influenced by the progressive rock and hardrock of the ‘70s, as well as contemporary bands, Ritual's sound has always been song-based, melodic and intense, with a great stylistic variation, and plenty of folk music influences seeping in. The latter feature is not least due to the band's frequent use of acoustic instruments like bouzouki, mandola, whistles and the Swedish nyckelharpa (a keyed fiddle).
With a lineup composed of Patrik Lundström on lead vocals and guitar, Fredrik Lindqvist on bass, mandola, dulcimer, recorder and vocals, Jon Gamble on keyboards and vocals, and Johan Nordgren on drums, nyckelharpa and vocals, Ritual have established themselves as a confident and powerful live band through numerous tours around Europe and appearances at international festivals such as Rites Of Spring Fest in the USA and Baja Prog in Mexico.
Ritual 's next live appearance will be on the 20th July at the Night of the Prog Festival, at the Loreley Amphitheater, in Bornich, Germany.
Tracklist
01. A Hasty Departure
02. The Inn of the Haunted Owl
03. Dreams in a Brougham
04. Chichikov Bogd
05. Mr. Tilly and his Gang
06. Through a Rural Landscape
07. The Feline Companion
08. Read all about it!
09. Forgotten Qualities
10. The Three Heads of the Well
Links
Official: https://ritual.se
Facebook: https://facebook.com/ritual.se
Label: https://karismarecords.no
