Deadland Ritual, the brand new group featuring former members of Black Sabbath, Guns & Roses and Billy Idol's band have just dropped their first single, Down In Flames, and it's accompanying video. The band are led by legendary Black Sabbath bassist Geezer Butler, who's joined by Billy Idol axeman Steve Stevens, former Guns N Roses/Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum, and singer Franky Perez (Apocalyptica, Scars on Broadway).

The song mixes Perez's powerful vocals with Sorum & Butlers' hulking, crushing rhythyms and Stevens' grinding guitars. It was produced by Greg Fidelman (Black Sabbath, Slipknot, Metallica), and released via Sonik Riot Recordings / AWAL powered by Kobalt and can be listened to right now, right here: https://open.spotify.com/track/2SnTyZwDmBhhO2dE49ffZk

A video showing the band playing the track in the studio has also dropped. Watch it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep5NHWELz04

The band's name conflates images of desert badlands with Sorum's idea of a 'ritualistic forgotten space' and seemed appropriate to the dark tone of the band's music. “Obviously we’ve been through some stuff,” Perez says. “If you’re being honest artistically, all the turmoil of love, loss, happiness and pain in life makes its way into the music.”

Perez, Stevens and Sorum are longtime friends, but the real catalyst for the band was Butler's enthusiasm to get involved. After Black Sabbath wrapped up their long career with the mammoth 'The End' tour which ran from January 2016 to February 2017, it was strange for him to to begin something new,  “I had to get used to the idea of starting from scratch again, which is good,” he says. “But I really liked the music I was hearing. It’s not your typical hard rock or metal stuff.”

Both Stevens and Sorum are likewise pumped about their new project:

I get to hear my guitar against a bass guitarist that I've idolized forever" Stevens notes. “I wanted to get the best drum sound I’ve ever gotten, and play the best I’ve played,” says Sorum meanwhile.  “I think I’ve achieved that. As a drummer I’ve morphed through a lot of decades of rock and roll.”

The band are currently booking festivals and headline shows for 2019, with two dates already announced:

14th June 2019 - Donnington England @ Download Festival
22nd June 2019 - Clisson, France @ Hellfest Festival

For tickets and further info visit: https://www.deadlandritual.com/

Author: Cameron Arndt

Cameron Arndt is a musician and freelance writer from Glasgow, Scotland. He writes for his own music review website (www.rockandrolltraffic.com) and also contributes to Music Talkers.