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Pale Ritual made it's live debut in 2016, performing at Columbia's New Brookland Tavern, and Greenville's Radio Room in the same week. Their Greenville appearance immediately went down in local history as a show you should feel terrible about missing. Last time I checked, the live stream I posted of the show was somewhere around 1,000 views. Not too bad for a black metal band from an ultra-conservative city that swears up, and down that it doesn't have a vibrant music scene. In anticipation of this Saturday's show (May 20th) at the utterly fantastic, Cabin Floor Records, I decided to have a chat with Pale Ritual co-founder, Cameron Morris about the upcoming festivities.
Hideous: Has it been difficult preparing for this show due to the distance between band members?
Cameron: Truthfully, it has not been very difficult. With Chase (Your Chance To Die) and Alex (Waft) assisting us this time it has proven to be a smooth process. The Carriers of Nothing EP is available for listening so obviously that speeds things up. Instead of writing out detailed tablature or slaving away at a Guitar Pro file, I just sketched out some general ideas for the riffs. I like to keep my music a little open-ended in that respect to see what everyone can bring to the table. With Scarlet Fever, like to establish the chord progression without a strict bass part. The chords and melody are the song and you can respell them however you want and experiment with different sounds and textures.
Hideous: Will you be debuting any new material; is there any in the works?
Cameron: There is definitely music in the works with most of the first full length already written. I can't say for sure if any of that material will make it to Saturday's show, but I'm not ruling it out either. Basically, I've written an entire album but have not yet rehearsed in the same room as Matt. There's a strong musical chemistry that comes from being brothers that have played together for at least ten years. He has all his parts written and we will certainly be rehearsing the new album this week to prepare for the studio. If anything feels confident enough we may decide to perform one at the shows.
Hideous: Now that you've been away for a while, is there anything you miss about Greenville's music scene?
Cameron: The thing I miss most about Greenville's music scene is the camaraderie in the metal and underground community as a whole. Being in NYC for 10 months isn't exactly enough time for me to determine whether they have the same vibe or not. I can definitely say the elitist attitude of more mainstream genres is present no matter where you live. The underground scene is one of the few frontiers left in music and that's where you'll meet the true visionaries and best people. Greenville has a lot of that and I miss it everyday.
Hideous: Last time Pale Ritual played Greenville, the room was packed, was that surprising, and do you expect a similar turnout this time?
Cameron: I have to say it was quite surprising for me to see the turnout that night. I've put myself through the grind for a few years there and never fit in with what was popular. At the end in Greenville, it was one of the most depressing points in my life and I convinced myself nobody cared about what I was doing. That show meant more to me than anyone can know and I just appreciate anyone who cares enough to listen. If it were only 3 people who truly digested it, I would be happy. As for this time around, I don't exactly have any expectations.
Hideous: Now that you've been in a larger market for a while, what do you think Greenville's music scene can improve upon to elevate our status as a music city? Is it possible?
Cameron: Ditch the main stream and for the love of god stop trying to be Asheville. If you're constantly copying others you'll always be 2 steps behind. Waiting for another town or community to tell you what's cool is just not the way to do it in my opinion. The pointless fuss of Greenville's supposed lack of music scene only comes from gentrifying people who want gentrified music. The answer is staring the city in the face. Prop up your underground metal, punk, trap, hip hop, and experimental artists. They are the future and will be the ones telling other towns what's cool.
Catch Pale Ritual with Death/Of this Saturday, May 20th at Cabin Floor Records - 504 Rutherford St, Greenville, South Carolina 29609
