The Ritual speaks exclusively to Capel Beulah

Capel Beulah are a mysterious and unknown entity that have emerged from within the darkest depths of the UK black metal scene.

Their debut self-titled album materialised in June on the incredible UK underground label ‘Death Kvlt Productions’ and Nate from The Ritual here on TotalRock speaks exclusively to the band, to find out what mystery lies within.

Nate: “Hello and thank you for taking the time to speak to us. I must firstly ask, due to the mystery that sounds this musical entity, is it a solo project or band?”
S: “We are a coven of like-minded individuals. Although the core of Capel Beulah hail from the black circle of Pembrokeshire, other members are from countries other than Wales. This can make capturing the essence difficult at times, but the adversity and distance makes for a unique alchemy”.

Nate: “How did the band form? Was it a chance of circumstances that made you want to write the music at that point in time, or an idea that you’ve had a desire to achieve for a while?
M: “It was the right time. Things aligned and we worked together. We all wanted to do it, and knew we would do so before even discussing the possibility”.

Nate: “Can you please tell me about the name of the band? I have been doing some of my own research and I found that it was once a place of worship that was destroyed over time in Wales?”
N: “It is a chapel where I grew up where we would practice necromancy in our early teens. There is a stone within the grounds that has a potent, malignant energy that was used to in the recording of Black Cocoon”.

Nate: “The song titles that are listed on the record seem to tell the tale of a person re-discovering old ways that were once forgotten however, I could be completely mistaken. Could you shed some light on this please?”
S: “There is a vine that all the compositions hang from and it’s the Devil. For me that is all”.

Nate: “The record has a great mix of styles from the ‘echo ‘and ‘muffled’ sounds of being trapped on the track ‘Black Cocoon’, to the raw vocals that feature throughout. Can I ask what the journey was in the writing process and how difficult was it to achieve?”
B: “It has been difficult for us to finish this record. We are spaced out and we all bring our own craft, and approach. We all have our own projects and other bands, so it was more about knowing when something was right for Capel Beulah and striking while that feeling was fresh”.

Nate: “The first track of the record “Symptoms of Astral Exteriorization” the spelling of “Exteriorization” has been Americanised. Is there a meaning to this?
M: “This is how I spell it”.
S: “For me that is the most potent incantation on the record. You can feel spirits crawling all over it”.

Nate: “In terms of the current situation of lock-down and live music etc has the music creation process be helped or hindered in anyway?”
M: “It hinders me. We were lucky to be able to get this finished before the plague”.
B: “On my personal work it has helped, but I can appreciate others do not have the same working set up”.
S: “I have found it problematic for drums. My set up is away in a small studio which has been in lockdown and now is having renovations. It was by the favour of the Devil that Capel Beulah was completed when it was”.

Nate: “What can we expect from Capel Beulah in the future? Are more releases planned or even the possibility of live gigs once we are all able to do so?”
M: “We shall return, there is no question”.
S: “In regards of performing it would take a lot of logistical steps”.
B: “I am much more about performing live so we shall see”.
N: “We could do this. I live in a city and have the connections to make it happen, but again it is getting us all together”.

Nate: “How would you describe the sound of Capel Beulah to someone who has been unfortunate enough to not have listened before?”
M: “Shrouded.”

Nate: “And lastly what is it like being on the roster of Death Kvlt Productions? It seems at present it’s arguably the most exciting extreme metal label in the UK with fans also across the world.”
S: “It is a honour. We all work and have worked with other labels with other projects but ‘Death Kvlt’ are without question the apex. There is true evil on the roster. I am of the old school and this is a label that takes me to those old days”.
B: “Agreed. It is good to work within a label based in the UK. Feels like a return”.

Capel Beulah is out now digitally via Death Kvlt Productions!