Now available on limited-edition vinyl!

The first album from this time-warping band from Toronto is a new fave over here alongside the debut from Devil's Blood, and just like Devil's Blood, this is some of that killer proto-doom revivalism that has been coming out of the wormwoodwork lately, a la likeminded bands like Burning Saviours, Witchcraft, Graveyards and Dead Man. Blood Ceremony are one of the heavier outfits playing this style, in my opinion, loaded with burly Iommi-influenced riffing, a total Sabbath/Pentragram vibe, but with rich, witchy female singing and a serious sheen of old school Hammond organ covering everything, that vintage organ sound up front and as much a lead instrument as the heavy guitars. I can't get enough of this album, and was fully sold once the second song "I'm Coming With You" rolls in and we're suddenly greeted by some 70's sounding prog-rock flute, which establishes itself as the real lead instrument in Blood Ceremony's arsenal, the flute trilling over the rest of the album alongside the heavy Sabbath riffs like a flowery, progged out mix of Pentagram, Jefferson Airplane and Jethro Tull, early 70's hippie-doom crossed with progressive rock and Canterbury folk. Singer Alia O'Brien is the one behind both the flute and the Hammond, and the combination of her dramatic singing with the flute playing and trippy Hammond organ tones give Blood Ceremony it's unique sound, like hearing Pentagram crossed with some 70's dark prog band; the riffs are just as crucial to the sound, though, lumbering bludgeoning slabs of fuzzed out downer riffage, heavy and doomy and soaked in Iommi's bongwater, not full-on metal but defintiely doomy as hell. Then there are the song titles and lyrics for songs like "Into The Coven", "Master Of Confusion", "A Wine Of Wizardry" and "Hop Toad", all of which conjure up images of early 70's Hammer movies and hippie-era black magic and blacklight posters...great stuff. Bewitching and heavy black magic-obsessed rock that evokes the obscure arcana of European occult rock and downer prog bands like Jacula, Black Widow, Coven, Necromandus through the retro-psychdoom of Jex Thoth . Recommended!