#Blood Ceremony #hard rock #progressive rock #doom metal #psychedelic rock #occult rock #stoner rock #heavy psych #1970s retro #music video
Taking its name from an Italian horror film, Blood Ceremony is a Toronto-based band that was formed in 2006 by Sean Kennedy (guitar), Chris Landon (bass), Andrew Haust (drums) and Alia O'Brien (vocals, flute, occasional organ). In 2008, they released their eponymous debut. While the band never indulged in epic songwriting, cuts like 'Master of Confusion' and 'Hymn to Pan' comfortably pass the five minute mark. Musically, Blood Ceremony does sound like a mix between Paranoid-era Sabbath’s sluggy riffage, with a touch of Stand Up period Jethro Tull, mostly due to O'Brien’s flute. The result is something that borders on doom metal, but has enough backwards cast psychedelic atmosphere - not to mention O'Brien’s quasi-operatic vocals - to make it stand out from the rest of the pack. Highly recommended to anyone who likes that late 60s/early 70s gloom metal sound. From: https://www.progarchives.com/artist.asp?id=4640
Canadian quartet Blood Ceremony’s style emulates 1970s prog rock and 1960s psychedelia while skillfully flirting with occult imagery and Hammer Horror-influenced lyrical themes; and it all started with the inclusion of a flute. “I guess the band really started when Alia [O’Brien, singer and flautist] came to practice with her flute,” muses guitarist and lyricist Sean Kennedy. “We started messing around with different riffs and we realized that it sounded really cool when she played along. We went from there and started writing songs that went in that kind of direction. That was really what developed our sound I guess – psychedelic riffs and flute.” Indeed, with her enchanting looks, powerful voice and Jethro Tull-style flute solos, Alia is a captivating and unique frontwoman. She and Kennedy started the band 10 years ago, which is completed by Lucas Gadke on bass and Michael Carrillo on drums. They’re just about to release album number four, entitled Lord Of Misrule, the follow-up to 2013’s The Eldritch Dark. It’s a bewitching blend of doom and psychedelia, that’s rooted not in the culture of their Canadian homeland, but in English soil. Not only are they signed to a British label, Rise Above Records, and recorded Lord Of Misrule with producer Liam Watson at Toe Rag Studios in London, but their close relationship with England is also reflected in the lyrical and musical themes of the album. “A lot of our influences for this album come from British folklore, and we recorded the album in London. It put that British stamp on it for us,” says Kennedy. “This is the first time we were able to record entirely to analogue tape. So if you buy the vinyl version of the album, it has never been digitalized from the tape, to the mastering, to the vinyl. It was such an exciting way to record the album.” From: https://www.loudersound.com/features/horror-folk-and-witchcraft-introducing-blood-ceremony
