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Blood Ceremony Bio

Blood Ceremony
Band members
Alia O'Brien - vocals

Genres
progressive
doom
rock

Born out of an obsession with ‘70s occult rock, BLOOD CEREMONY’s music resurrects the spirit of groups such as Coven, Affinity, and Black Widow. After a mind-numbing study of hundreds of trashy witchcraft films, the Toronto-based group began to pour their energies into crafting songs, transforming their fascination for horror into a profane musical vision. BLOOD CEREMONY is interested in musical sorcery, the members having made a firm pact dedicating themselves to the twilight world of saturnalia and occult lore.

BLOOD CEREMONY plays a distinctive brand of flute-tinged witch rock. Early on, their sound revealed an infernal marriage of Black Sabbath and the manic piping of Jethro Tull. Eschewing the affectations of modern rock music, BLOOD CEREMONY keeps it simple and heavy; yet their songs are tempered with strong, brooding melodies. This effect is enhanced by their use of the flute; an instrument once prevalent in progressive rock, but which is uncommon in today’s scene. Invoking the mischievous “Pipes of Pan,” BLOOD CEREMONY songs are distinguished by singer Alia O’Brien’s energetic jazz-flute solos – accenting an instrument long-associated with a list of devilish mythic characters. Writing of BLOOD CEREMONY’s situation in heavy music, NOW critic Jason Keller points out: “Once (the flute) enters the forum of heavy metal, there aren’t many other bands you can reference.” Although the tag of Heavy Metal may be a stretch, there is a sense of heaviness and funereal gloom in BLOOD CEREMONY’s music, as well as a lyrical obsession with eldritch themes, that aligns them with much of traditional Doom.

Since forming in the winter of 2006, the band has regularly played the club-circuit in Toronto and Montreal, and has gained a devoted fan base in these areas. They performed at Pop Montreal 2007 and at the CMJ Festival in New York. During this period, BLOOD CEREMONY have had the good fortune to share the stage in support of some excellent bands, such as The Atomic Bitchwax, Piledriver, Danava, Do Make Say Think, The Mongrels, The Illuminati, and Sweden’s Witchcraft. In their short time as a group, the band has also made an effort to play non-conventional shows, performing before bizarre film-projections, in wooded areas, and in venues more in tune with the atmosphere of weird nocturnal rituals. After a few false starts and wayward turns, the band recorded nine tracks at Halla Music in Toronto with producer Pete Hudson (Sons of Otis). Mixed by the legendary Billy Anderson (Neurosis, Sleep), their debut album is being released by Rise Above Records in 2008.

Looking backwards for forward inspiration, the group bears witness to the heavy bands of yesteryear, fusing psychedelic rock and folk with an early ‘70s downer vibe. Add to the mix some vintage Pentagram, and you have the essential ingredients for their sound. Being mindful against falling into mere imitation of these influences, BLOOD CEREMONY strives to achieve a distinctive presence through their music. The desired effect is the creation of an utterly heavy and doomed-out vibe. Songs built upon the foundations of medieval Sabbathian riffs are characterized by psychedelic ‘60s-style organ work, as well as mystical fluting, creating a profound sense of other-worldliness. Soundproof Magazine has called their songs “layered and epic,” and describes Hymn to Pan as “the theme song for some obscure cult.”



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