When it comes to music, it's been a while since I made an attempt at compiling a year's end best-of list. The internet has spoiled me and, in some ways, crippled what I loved about music. Give me a good search engine and a few minutes and I can find nearly any record I want. And there are always more records to find. New albums get a once through, if that, and I move along if it doesn't grab me right away. It's unfortunate really because some of my favorite records, the ones I think back on as soundtracks to periods of life, were not albums I loved right away.
I downloaded Ceremony's latest record, their 3rd full length, "Rohnert Park", after finding it listed on a file sharing site. Released on the hardcore stalwart Bridge Nine Records, I'd likely not given the band a chance had it not been for a couple passionately positive reviews after the listing. It had been a few years since I listened to a record released on Bridge Nine. My perception was the label catered to nothing but tough guy hardcore - a genre and fan base I can only take in doses.
From the first note I loved "Rohnert Park". It could have been because it was nothing like I expected. While Ceremony certainly shares neighboring borders with the hardcore milieu I knew their label to specialize in, they are on to something completely different than that. Vocalist Ross Farrar's venom, delivery and sharp verse on tracks like "Into the Wayside part 1/Sick", "Open Head" and "Terminal Addiction" initially reminded me of a young Gary Floyd of the Dicks singing "Hate the Police" or Henry Rollins performing "Rise Above" from his Black Flag Days. Adjectives like "pissed off", "angry" etc are not new when it comes to this genre but on "Rohnert Park", Ceremony are taking queues from their punk and hardcore torchbearers and making it their own thing. And this is awesome!
Ceremony will be playing an all ages show Fri night, Aug 20th, at 8PM, $10 cover, in West Seattle at the West Seattle Legion Hall, 3618 SW Alaska St. Sharing the floor with them will be the Bay area based band Punch whose latest record, "Push Pull", is pretty damn great as well. Also on the bill will be Nails, who I think is the same Nails recently signed to Southern Lord, Not Sorry and Power.
Words by Roy Culver
Lately I have been forcing myself to buy CD's again -- just for that very reason. I'm tired of having music adhd. This show should be kick ass!
ReplyDeleteI ended up picking the Ceremony record up as well. I should have mentioned that in the article. I still buy the music I am pumped about. - roy
ReplyDelete