After seven years Blood Ceremony are finally ready to deliver the highly anticipated fifth album “The Old Ways Remain” channeling the timeless force of doom and the trippy essence of psych -rock to fully shape a unique sonic vision.
“The Hellfire Club” opens the album with darkened atmospheric nuances and an overdose of addictive grooves fueled by the retro rock style of the gritty guitar riffs and enriched by enchanting flute melodies.
You will repeat the title “Ipsissimus” over and over in your head as the chorus and the chunky guitar riffs sound insanely catchy and even uplifting while the winning combo of flute and organ adds a fascinating melodic flow.
“Powers Of The Darkness” aptly amplifies a darkened aura around the groovy rhythmic section and the vintage vibes of the charismatic guitar solo while Alia’s voice spellbinds the listeners with a memorable chorus.
“The Bonfires at Belloc Coombe” takes you to an ancient realm as the fiddle and the flute craft soulful folkish melodies yet the fiery guitar work constantly channels the enigmatic essence of occult rock ultimately leading to faster quasi frantic rhythmic patterns.
“Widdershins” is another irresistible track featuring a solid round of sizzling guitar riffs and monumental drum blasts consequently the vocals manifest a true rocker attitude yet you can easily perceive some forlorn doom influences.
Showcasing a detailed composition “Song Of The Morrow” marks a grandiose closure as guitars and organ acquire deeply melancholic tonalities to meticulously create enthralling melodic tapestries leading to cryptic contemplative moments.
With the release of “The Old Ways Remain” Blood Ceremony confidently follow an expansive musical pathway perfectly blending magnetic occult rock elements, magical folk harmonies and inflamed guitar driven grooves.
Tag: rise above records
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats Live at Thalia Hall in Chicago
Finally Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats return to North America for an extensive tour destined to conquer a wider audience. In fact a large enthusiast crowd packed Thalia Hall in Chicago to join the intense psychedelic live experience offered by Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats as they performed an hypnotizing & groovy collection of songs including “Shockwave City”, “Mind Crawler”, “I’ll Cut you Down” and “No Return” enhanced by the colorful super trippy background projections.
Witchskull – A Driftwood Cross
Australian trio Witchskull is ready to raise the bar and conquer the soul of doom metal fans with the third release “A Driftwood Cross” which evidently relies on mighty riffs and monolithic grooves.
The doom worshipping is clear as soon as “Black Cathedrals” kicks off with unstoppable energetic riffage and cohesive groovy rhythmic patterns while the lead guitar work can confidently unleash memorable fancy soloing and slow burning fuzzy progressions that acquire arcane tonalities in the finale.
“Baphomet’s Child” is a wildly entertaining track that offers a major dosage of charismatic guitar driven grooves blending bold stoner dynamics and fiery occult rock vibes which influence the mournful melodic progressions.
“The Red Altar” fully showcases an untamed doom spirit through the monumental guitar riffs and the intense vocal delivery while as the rhythm slows down highlighting the chunky bass lines the overall mood becomes increasingly darker embracing a major eerie atmosphere.
“Nero Order” has some slower gloomy moments skillfully created by hypnotic melodic progressions yet the excellent rhythmic section is always able to provide inflamed galloping grooves amplifying the fuzzy stoner elements.
The title track incarnates an authentic doom essence as the darkened guitar melodies emphasize the ominous feelings while the colossal riffage builds a powerful rhythmic tension generating an alluring mix of calmer brooding moments and absolutely explosive grooves.
The irresistible classic doom flair of “A Driftwood Cross” will please all the acolytes of this timeless influential genre and Witchskull once again composed and performed the whole album with undiluted passion.
Blood Ceremony Video Interview
Blood Ceremony Live at Chicago Doomed And Stoned Festival
Canadian occult rockers Blood Ceremony haven’t toured in the United States since some years so the fans were eager to see them live at the Chicago Doomed And Stoned Festival at Reggies Rock Club. With a remarkable band chemistry and a unique creative force that effortlessly blends magical folk nuances and a groovy vintage heavy rock spirit Blood Ceremony performed an unforgettable full set that included the brand new single “Lolly Willows” available via Rise Above Records, “Goodbye Gemini”, “Oliver Haddo”, “Lord Of Misrule” and “The Magician”. Multi-instrumentalist Alia O’Brien confidently delivered spellbinding vocals and gorgeous flute melodies adding intense psychedelic vibes with the organ while the vocal duet with bassist Lucas Gadke on the melancholic song “Lord Summerisle” truly hypnotized the crowd.
Twin Temple – Bring You Their Signature Sound…Satanic Doo-Wop
L.A. Satanic doo-wop duo Twin Temple make their official debut with the album “Twin Temple Bring You Their Signature Sound…Satanic Doo-Wop” which is bound to trigger curiosity with the unusual blend of Luciferian worship and vintage music style.
The sound of “The Devil (Didn’t Make Me Do It)” is incredibly nostalgic and distant from what we’re used to listen to in the modern music scene with the unique spellbinding vocals and the raw guitar tonalities following a fun upbeat rhythm.
“Lucifer, My Love” is a love song clearly dedicated to Lucifer so there is a certain degree of sheer romanticism and decadence within the languid guitar melodies and dreamy ballad vibes that are certainly enriched by the sultry vocal delivery.
“I Know How To Hex You” might be a curse but doesn’t sound particularly evil as the mix of smooth guitars and jazzy dynamics makes you want to dance and could even put you in a good mood.
“I’m Wicked” relies on warm guitar melodies and enjoyable trumpets following a softer & slower rhythm embellished by charming piano passages while vocals naturally shift from voluptuous whispers to strong rocker delivery.
On “Let’s Hang Together” the vocals sound pleasantly playful and definitely take the center stage once again diligently accompanied by the shimmering melodies of the utterly wistful instrumental ensemble.
“Bring You Their Signature Sound…Satanic Doo-Wop” truly sounds like an old vinyl from 1950 with its old school recording and lack of any special effects and you can easily tell that Twin Temple has the ability to carry the torch for classic rock ‘n’ roll obviously with the addition of occult themes.
Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats Live in Chicago
Created by mastermind Kevin Starrs, Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats quickly started to gain interest within the British underground music scene but the latest immersive album “Wasteland”, released last year via Rise Above Records, truly impressed a much wider audience. Now the band’s intriguing psychedelic proto-metal & doom style has conquered fans worldwide as proved by the successful ‘Peace Across The Wasteland’ tour in North America. At the sold out show at Metro in Chicago Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats delivered a memorable hypnotizing performance on a dark stage illuminated almost exclusively by the trippy projections in the background playing songs from all the albums including “I See Through You”, “Shockwave City”, “Blood Runner” and “No Return” from “Wasteland”.
Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats – Wasteland
The renowned brilliant talent of Kevin Starrs and what he passionately creates with Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats goes beyond any music trend or standard composition therefore we are eager to enter the dystopian world depicted through the heavy psychedelic maze of the latest opus “Wasteland”.
“Shockwave City” is groovy in a wonderful trippy fashion even if there are obscure atmospheres lingering through the acidic guitar riffs which spontaneously build heavy rock textures leading to the lysergic melodies and easily lovable fuzzy dynamics of the charming guitar solos.
“No Return” feels like a neverending trip as you stumble upon bittersweet melodic guitars before entering an increasingly darker, heavier and absolutely hypnotizing sonic realm where riffs evoke sinister tonalities confidently marching through immensely hazy atmospheres.
“Stranger Tonight” amplifies heavy rock grooves at a faster pace as guitars push on the fuzz pedal to get you all dazed while evoking delightful vintage rock tonalities that will become particularly powerful in the wild guitar solo.
The title track begins with tranquil acoustic melodies and softer emotive vocals yet you can perceive the underlying darkened mood that will later flourish with higher intensity due to intriguing waves of psychedelic distorted guitars.
The eclectic nature of the final song “Exodus” leads to a genuine blend of classic rock melodies and doom worshipping guitar progressions that follow a terrific groovy jam featuring lovely retro tonalities and a series of exciting guitar solos that will inevitably make you space out.
When it comes to Uncle Acid And The Deadbeats you can always rest assured that Kevin Starrs will proudly craft an extraordinary music experience and “Wasteland” definitely continues to keep alive that irresistible psychedelic rock mood that we need so desperately in our life.
Age Of Taurus – The Colony Slain
The time has come for doom metal diehards Age Of Taurus to release the sophomore full length “The Colony Slain” which besides being packed with epic heavy metal grooves tells a story of fearless heroes battling in a fantasy world .
“Taken To The Tower” focuses mainly on untamed guitar driven grooves perfectly supported by the doom inspired weight of cohesive rhythmic dynamics yet vocals tend to follow a soothing melodic mood and consequent emotional quality.
“The Trial Of Blackwynn Chaise” immediately acquires a darker aura with smooth mournful melodic guitars and the rather mystical chanting breakdown that easily stand out in the groovy & crunchy rhythmic galore.
Besides the abundance of steady galloping guitar riffs “In Dreams We Die” features a highly dramatic mood with extremely somber vocals in the significantly slower section yet the final part of the song will gain extra raw energy and speed.
“Beyond The Westward Path” feels immediately melancholic focusing once again on lead guitars sober melodies and amplified doom nuances yet maintains profoundly epic vibes as we are still fighting some malevolent enemies with increasing rhythmic energy.
“The Walls Have Ears” is packed with triumphant guitar riffs and bold drumming clearly inspired by classic metal and the powerful bass lines often introduce wild & variegated dynamics naturally shifting from high impact grooves to subtle melodic segments.
The title track tends to enhance a grave melodic ensemble guided by fervent lead guitar work and charismatic solos but the weight of the increasingly heavy rhythmic section repeatedly & confidently reclaims the spotlight with bursts of soaring riffage.
There is a genuine passion for metal behind the composition of “The Colony Slain” and Age Of Taurus diligently follows the chosen musical pathway to deliver solid rounds of energetic guitar riffing and melodic depth profoundly influenced by NWOBHM.
The Colony Slain
Witchskull – Coven’s Will
Australian trio Witchskull is eager to spread massive doom grooves worldwide with the sophomore release “Coven’s Will” which sees the band raising the bar to confidently deliver strong songwriting and skillful musicianship.
The album opener “Raven” is rightfully packed with loud groovy guitar riffs blending catchy rock nuances and hints of traditional doom despair which leads to the creation of a high impact track featuring also sensational vocals.
“Son Of The Snake” revolves around tight rhythmic segments featuring a super thick bass backbone that works harmoniously with the omnipresent heavy doom guitar riffs while the leads channel a somber melodic mood enhanced by the compelling vocal duet with Erica Stoltz and ultimately reach a spontaneous charismatic acme of the guitar solo.
“Demon Cage” is simply wild and a bit hellish with a serious dosage of heavy riffage and solo acrobatics that don’t need special effects or exaggerated speed to induce instant headbanging as a thunderous rhythmic section fiercely maintains a nightmarish groove.
The fascinating darkness of “Lord Of The Void” will prevail through a chunky ensemble of melodic hooks and blistering guitar riffs that surround the hypnotic lead guitar work while vocals follow the moody inflamed rhythm with exceptionally fervent delivery.
“The Empty Well” is the song that truly screams doom from beginning to end drawing inspiration from the darkest depths of metal with a taste for all things sinister and an impending armageddon as irresistible galloping guitar riffs nicely build a strong groove in the middle of dramatically slower monolithic guitar work and diabolical vocals.
The music journey of Witchskull is still at the early stages but “Coven’s Will” has a mature sound capable to channel the authentic vibes and raw power of classic doom metal.