“I keep having this dream where I’ve figured out how to fly—some kind of breathing method. I spend all this time trying to teach everyone, but no one believes me. I end up just floating alone,” says Christian Dryden, frontman and songwriter of NYC’s gothic art-rockers The Ritualists, about “King of Air,” the hypnotic centerpiece of their new album Too Pure to Cure, out today via Suite484Music. “I think the dream relates to a desire for recognition, while also feeling very misunderstood. Maybe it’s about wanting to be heard without slipping into narcissism.”
“King of Air” reflects The Ritualists’ heightened artistry on Too Pure to Cure, their most ambitious and cohesive album to date. Recorded at Clive Davis Studios in Brooklyn and co-produced by GRAMMY®-winner Mario J McNulty (David Bowie, Lou Reed, Nine Inch Nails), the album is steeped in lush textures, soaring melodies, and emotional excavation. “We’re all really excited for this release,” Dryden exclaims. “Every album is a learning experience. Working with Mario really pushed me to simplify the groove pocket and embrace melodic elements I might’ve overlooked. That opened a lot of creative doors for us.”
While earlier releases were more solitary in conception, Too Pure to Cure is a true band record—built on the growing chemistry between members and a more collaborative spirit. “This album, more than our previous ones, was a reaction to the interplay within the band,” says Dryden. “I was writing parts with everyone’s individual styles in mind. It was a shift in mindset—and a lot more fun.”
Songs like previous single “The Wake”—a shimmering ode to ‘80s dark fantasy and New Romantic pop—showcase that range. Written initially as a vocal melody in the shower, it evolved into a cinematic track with synth-laced atmospheres and an infectiously melodic bassline inspired by John Taylor of Duran Duran. “At first the guys weren’t sure about the pop direction of the song, but Jeffrey [Andrew, keyboards] really leaned in, layering these incredible synth arpeggios. Eric [Kuby, drums] grounded it all with this tight, disciplined groove.”
Elsewhere, the emotionally loaded “Every Thread” plays with contrasts: “Ultra mellow verse meets bombastic chorus,” says Dryden. The track’s outro introduces an entirely new melody—an homage to the songwriting playbook of tracks like “Hey Jude.” Another standout, “The Plastic Crusade,” channels social media-fueled outrage into a fiery, riff-driven release, while “Sweet Despair” emerged only after countless rewrites—its evolution echoing the emotional complexity embedded in its title.
Lyrically, Too Pure to Cure threads together love longing, digital alienation, and existential dread. “There’s this endless, empty feeling that comes from aimless scrolling at 3am, looking for something that doesn’t exist,” says Dryden. “That kind of emotional void ties back to this ancient terror—realizing just how insignificant we are in the grand scheme. The album plays with that—alongside simpler themes like infatuation, envy, and hypocrisy.” The record’s title encapsulates its ethos: a defiant embrace of authenticity. “It’s not a protest. It’s more of a shoulder shrug. Like, yeah, this is it. This is who I am. If the feeling is pure, there’s nothing that can ‘cure’ it,” says Dryden.