Ceremony"Still Nothing" moves you is the band's fifth release in three years; first came their 2005 demo, then "Ruined," followed by "Violence Violence," and their 7" "Scared People". My first introduction to the band was their demo that I had received from Malfunction Records. It was quite good, so I decided to check out "Violence Violence." It was decent but I didn't really get into it as much as others, so admittedly I didn't even bother with "Scared People".
So you're probably thinking, "Man, this guy didn't like "Violence Violence," there is no way he is going to like this!" It's quite the opposite. The band has broadened their approach to song writing. Their demo and "Violence Violence" were comprised mostly of songs that were purely about pure speed and aggression delivered in the way of thrash influenced 80's hardcore riffs. And while that was good and all, it got a bit stale. This time around the band utilizes some well done, brief interludes that come off a bit post-hardcore'ish. The interludes also did a good job of making the fast parts that much more dynamic.
The opening track "Dead Moon California (Midnight in Solitude)" is by far the bands longest track that they have written. The first 35 seconds of soft feedback is perhaps the most eerie that the band has sounded, and it perfectly sets the stage for the bass to come in and build up the song until it crescendoes into a straight up dose of mid 80's hardcore.
Most of the time the lyrics come off as being a bit inane and most of the time in a good way. There are a couple of memorable lines that can be found such as the line "I won't be skullfucked by faith, I am the upside down cross" in "He-god-Favors Our Undertakings." And then there's the awesome word play of "fuck the government with your fist" that is found in the song "Plutocratic Swine Rake."
The recording and production of the album are certainly fitting. The live sounding recording comes off raw and gritty while still maintaining a professional sound. The vocals are a bit low in the mix but it in a strange way it works. The bass tone dominates the mix and is clearly heard throughout the album. The guitars have a much more distinct sound than in years presence and the drums also sound a bit more defined.
While I appreciate the bands minimalist approach, the layout is fucking dookie. The album comes in a piece of shit cardboard sleeve that looks like shit after handling it for a couple of listens. The lyric sheet was supposed to be printed to mimic a sheet of note paper but the holes look retarded.
Rating: 3.5/5
Songs Worthy of Replay: "Entropy: No Meaning Is Also An Answer" & "Dead Moon California (Midnight In Solitude)"
Synopsis: For some this will be the best hardcore release of 2008, for me it's just another enjoyable listen. The band has grown musically and while they use the 21 minutes of music nicely, it's nothing that comes off as being memorable. The lyrics are good but honestly not quite as good as I was hoping for.
Links to check out
Ceremony Myspace
Bridge 9 Website
Ceremony Website
*Edit: I made a mistake in the amount of releases the band has put out, it is 5
not 4.