ALBUM REVIEW: The Old Ways Remain – Blood Ceremony
Emerging from Toronto’s underground in 2006, BLOOD CEREMONY are a mystical, mesmeric and multi-faceted musical entity. The band’s eclectic sound is built on four pillars; the driving riffs of doom, the glowing warmth of psych, flute-led acid folk and earthy prog, all of which are masterfully intertwined with cryptic stories from the ancient world. With their last album Lord Of Misrule being released in 2016, they reawaken from their long sleep with another joyfully eclectic effort, The Old Ways Remain, and it is more than worth the seven-year wait. The title is taken from a previous BLOOD CEREMONY song and typifies the band’s belief that the ancient past still haunts the present. Yet it is a continuation of their sound and evolution, bringing with it added layers of mysticism influenced by the lockdowns during the pandemic.
The Old Ways Remain certainly stands out amongst the other illustrious tomes of BLOOD CEREMONY’s story. While the intention was to repeat the successful formula of Lord Of Misrule, what has come to fruition is something beautifully different. It acknowledges all the elements that brought the band their success, but The Old Ways Remain is more hypnotic, eminently groovy and boldly adventurous, pushing their sound into all new territory. The band pieced together this album independently, and by doing it locally they were able to bring in a whole roster of special guests to help them, including Laura Bates (fiddle) of VÖLUR, Joseph Shabason (saxophone) and Mike Eckert (pedal steel). It is also the first BLOOD CEREMONY album to feature a song not written by the band; Mossy Wood was originally written by Amy Bowles, wife of guitarist Sean Kennedy. With this musical community spirit at its heart it is testament to BLOOD CEREMONY’s adaptability, focus and efficacy that The Old Ways Remain has come to fruition.
Musically, The Old Ways Remain is an album of brilliantly crafted songs imbued with the retro rock vibes of the 1970s, vintage pop and colourful, energetic folk. The music is all tied together with cryptic stories that sound like they have come from a wealth of folklore knowledge, with each song representing its own colourful chapter in the luminous tome of the album. This can be put partially down to the influence of Arthur Machen’s writing, and his exploration of the past haunting the present. The Old Ways Remain has a much broader reach and a seemingly more hopeful outlook as it has emerged from the darkness of the pandemic years. In some ways it symbolises a rebirth for BLOOD CEREMONY, a passionately renewed creative intent that acknowledges its past while unapologetically moving forward. Even though there is an inherent dark magic to their sound, which is the undercurrent of the album, with the more prevalent folk features throughout the record there is an added whimsicalness. It plays with the shadows and the otherworld’s magic and it is intensely bewitching and enjoyable.
This veritable feast of electrifying music opens up with the epic psych rock track The Hellfire Club, and from this track alone it is immediately clear that BLOOD CEREMONY have undergone a transformation. Big riffs and more prominent flute melodies bring you into the world of the band’s creation. Ipsissimus is imbued with an occult rock vibe that adds to the opening track’s magnetism; you feel spiritually drawn into this song, and its catchy “ipsissimus” chants are stuck in your head long after it has finished. One stand out track on this album is Eugenie – a bewitching track that feasters a plethora of folk grooves, melodies and instrumentation which sees the guitar take a refreshing back seat by taking on a more rhythmic role, while the bass and drums provide the backbone for its hypnotic groove.
This is a similar formula for Lolly Wilows, alongside the vocal effects on Alia O’Brien (vocals/flute/organ)’s voice which emphasise the witchy, ethereal tone that she possesses as the melodies shift from ear to ear. The Bonfires At Belloc Coombe reintroduces the powerful riffing that that band are known for, with acrobatic lead guitar parts and Bates’ fiddle. This song has a wonderful story to it and reminds you of the ancient long barrows with thriving spirit communities within, a perfect song to play at Beltane. Hecate and Mossy Wood further demonstrate the band’s musical expansion, as they are two wonderfully memorable folk rock songs permeated with a dark yet flowery folk magic.
It is hard to fully fathom and put into words how stunning this album is; BLOOD CEREMONY’s return is a triumphant success and the folkier evolution of the band is exciting. The Old Ways Remain has a spell-binding, ritualistic presence that leaves an indelible mark on you and always keeps you coming back for more.
Rating: 10/10
The Old Ways Remain is set for release on May 5th via Rise Above Records.
Like BLOOD CEREMONY on Facebook.