âYou Know Betterâ sets the stage for their upcoming album, Too Pure to Cure, set for release on April 22 via Suite484Music.
ââYou Know Betterâ is about the irony of living in an age where the only thing more impressive than our unprecedented access to countless amounts of dubious information is the unapologetic examples of ignorance which seem fueled by it,â says lead vocalist/songwriter Christian Dryden of the “gothic art-rockers” (Hollywood Life) The Ritualists about their new bold, dance-driven track.
The music video for “You Know Better” (also out today) features live performance footage from a recent show at NYC’s Berlin, capturing their electrifying stage presence and the wild afterparty that ensued. Directed and shot by video producer Aleksei “That Russian Guy” Postnikov, Dryden recalls, “I think he was somewhat overwhelmedâdisturbed, evenâby the situation, but somehow found a way to make some sense of the mayhem!”
Recorded at Clive Davis Studios in Brooklyn and mixed and co-produced by GRAMMYÂź-winner Mario J McNulty (David Bowie, Prince, Nine Inch Nails, Laurie Anderson, Glen Matlock, Lou Reed), Too Pure to Cure follows the The Ritualistsâ sophomore album, the critically hailed Baroque and Bleeding (2021) which Post-Punk.com called “a goth glam rock opus.” The first single from the album, âThe Plastic Crusade,” (released in November 2024) was hailed by Adam Bernard of Adamâs World as, âa biting look at society, while still being a good time musically thanks to their mix of goth, glam, and modern rock.â
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Inspired by English Romantic poets and the infinite abyss of the online world, Too Pure to Cure explores themes of love, lust, hope, fear, and digital-age existentialism. The album and its title track (âToo Pure to Cureâ) serves as an artistic manifesto of self-acceptance, “It’s not so much a protest as it is a shoulder shrug,” Dryden explains. “Itâs very much a sort of declaration about knowing thyself. This is who we are. It’s either inside you or it isn’t. If itâs inside you, if itâs pure, thereâs nothing that can âcureâ it.”Â
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The songwriting process for Too Pure to Cure was also deeply influenced by the growing chemistry within the band, especially with the addition of drummer Eric Kuby, whose presence, Dryden says, allowed himself to shift focus off drum duties and explore new creative depths. “This album was a reaction to our bandâs evolution. I wrote parts with the guys’ styles in mind, which made the whole experience feel more natural and cohesive.”
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Making an album is always a learning experience for me,” Dryden shares about the band’s evolution in making this record. “This time around, we had the honor of working with McNulty, who helped me focus on simplifying the groove pocket and embracing certain melodic elements I wouldnât have normally highlighted.”Â
Rising from the underground glam scene in NYC’s East Village, The Ritualists have established themselves as a cornerstone of the Lower East Side music scene, a vibrant world that inspired Drydenâs musical vision. Embraced by that scene’s strong musical community whose spirit embraces NYC’s Velvet Underground and New York Dolls as much as its allegiance to British glam rock, Dryden’s sonic flair encapsulates both disciplines while adding his own modern stamp. “Being inspired by larger-than-life characters such as David Bowie, Simon Le Bon, Bryan Ferry, and Marc Bolan was a blessing and a curse,” he reflects. “It was magical and transformative to imagine these people as your sort of musical soulmates, but also seemed to engender feelings of loneliness, as there didn’t appear to be anyone else who shared this vision where I was… that is, until I started to frequent the venues and clubs of the Lower East Side.”Â
“You Know Better” Lyrics:
Youâre much too real when all you feel is fear and pain
Emphasize desires between your ears and your legs
Running scared from passions much too real and too sane
Every note is rote but you know better
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Craft a raft and make your great escape
Like a superhero blinded by his own cape
His own cape
You know better
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So, burn the seal and break the legs that kneel and stain
The ground with blood and tears all shed in vain
Stunt the dreams and mute the screams all pleading for meaning
The echoes in my chamber know no matter
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Craft a raft and make your great escape
Like a superhero blinded by his own cape
His own cape
You know better
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Craft a raft and make your great escape
Like a superhero blinded by his own cape
His own cape
Force a course and glide through like a wraith
Like a holy roller blinded by his own faith
His own faith
You know better