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Rise Above – Out Now.
Ask me to provide you with a list of all the bands I adore and you are guaranteed to find among them important names like Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull and Deep Purple.
These legends of Rock have influenced myriads of bands over the years but only a few of these have managed to incorporate their classic elements in a balanced manner and present their blend in a truly interesting fashion. Ladies and gentlemen, here’s one of them – the Toronto-based, female-fronted quartet Blood Ceremony.
Actually, those of you who rely on our pages for information on all things Rock & Metal might remember my quite favourable review for the band’s previous studio album “Living With The Ancients” back in 2011.
Well, the band’s latest effort, “The Eldritch Dark”, finds the band further perfecting those classic formulae and in the process creating eight compositions of a simplicity and inventiveness that will surprise and inspire you in equal measure.
The opening track “Witchwood” is perfect in terms of showcasing how much Blood Ceremony has matured as a band over these last couple of years. Opening with a 70s keyboard theme, the kind that made Purple famous, the second half of the composition indulges in heavy riffery and folk aesthetics that fans of Tony Iommi and Ian Anderson will have absolutely no problem embracing.
“Goodbye Gemini” has strong references to the music of The Devil’s Blood, “Lord Summerisle” is a majestic folky tune which operates within a predominantly acoustic setting and in “Ball Of The Weird Sisters” you have a six-minute masterpiece whose highly melodic guitar, flute, and violin melodies are simply to die for.
The second part of the album kicks off in an equally flamboyant fashion. “The Eldritch Dark” features a riff, terribly reminiscent of that which Black Sabbath used in their classic opus “The Wizard”; “Drawing Down The Moon” is a bass-driven emotional tune which finds guitarist Sean Kennedy looking towards Ritchie Blackmore for inspiration, while “Faunus” is a two and a half minute instrumental composition filled with moody but also high quality guitar/flute melodies.
The great closing composition of the album, namely “The Magician”, is an eight and a half minute track which successfully combines the band’s influences and themes into one piece of music, the kind that only a band with real skill and passion is capable of creating.
I am sure that those of you who were lucky enough to have seen bands like Sabbath, Purple and Tull in their prime may be questioning why you should invest in a band like Blood Ceremony, but I am convinced that one good spin will be all the motivation needed.
These fine Canadians have created eight high quality compositions whose honesty and positive energy should leave no doubts with regards to their intentions but, most importantly, they are truly damn good songs that simply deserve your support and appreciation. Fans of 70s Rock will have an absolute blast!
John Stefanis
Rating: **** (4.0/5.0)
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