We’re pretty backwards with our Ceremony love. It sounds weird, we know. But hear us out! One of our most favorite artists in recent years is an Alternative act that goes by the name of SPICE. SPICE and Ceremony happen to share a front person in Ross Farrar. In our numerous write-up’s of SPICE releases we have surely typed out that Farrar was involved in Ceremony. Hell, while not huge fans, we’ve actually listened to Ceremony quite a bit… but never made the connection totally until this new Ceremony cycle that we’re on. We know! And can understand if you don’t trust us to deliver some praise on what is turning out to be one of our absolute favorite releases front to back this year.
Anyway!
Farrar along with Bassist Justin Davis, Drummer Jake Casarotti, Guitarist Andy Nelson and Guitarist/Keyboardist Anthony Anzaldo have assembled an eclectic mix of all styles Ceremony into one kickass and coherent record that might sound like a ‘Best Of’ if it wasn’t all brand spankin’ new! “Prograde” is very much soaked in the more recent Post-Punk purpose that Ceremony has been putting out so it’s a nice segue from what’s come before into what’s next while lead single “Other Hells” is pure Punk in the vein of “Into The Wayside Part I/Sick” (That’d be circa 2010’s).
Next, “Madness” is some New Wave/Post-Punk stuff along the lines of Blondie’s Autoamerican especially with the “Rapture”-esque way Farrar drops bars as “Dark Summer” follows treading a fine line between SPICE but within a Ceremony context that just opens the door to the wide variety of music the band is offering across their 7th LP by diving into a lush Alternative soundscape courtesy of Anzaldo’s Synth work. Anzaldo’s atmospheres continues into “Deep Down Where I Belong” which is all the Post- things with a hefty dose of Electro by way of Devo-style Old School New Wave on this hypnotic earworm that’ll have listeners humming along long after angular guitar sounds, debonair distortion and wonderful call and response moments conclude.
“Antenna” pulsates from both Davis’ Bass and Anzaldo’s Synths with Farrar’s delightful sing-songy delivery the icing on this sonic gem, “Justify” is straight Post-Punk perfection as only Ceremony could pull off in this day and age with Casarotti’s beats bellowing alongside Davis’ Bass and “Death Destruction Mayhem” is a rip roarin’ rabble rouser that would easily sound at home alongside the aforementioned “Sick” or any of the band’s earlier works.
“10 Planets” begins the cooldown period with a quieter, seemingly less intense affair with Farrar’s determined delivery and a catchy cadence practically bouncing off the solid instrumental foundation laid out by Anzaldo, Davis, Nelson and Casarotti. Rounding out the record, “Paradise” is almost a lullaby surrounded by a constant thumping like the pitter patter of rain or a steady heartbeat. Farrar leads the way here with some purposeful prose (“There’s so much I have to tell you/But we’ll have to wait ’til the next life”) that’s divine in such a way that it’s like a higher power is conveying this blessed bout of sonic serenity through Ceremony to your earholes for consumption. In a good way.
Tell Me Your Dream is out on August 7th through Relapse Records and you can find the version that suits you best by heading here or to the stream below. For more from Ceremony, including ALL the deets on their impending Fall headlining run which hits The Sinclair in Cambridge On October 1st with support from the always amazing Poison Ruin and Iron Lung (Advance tix for that one can be found here), hit up the interwebs and the band socials when you click here, here or here.