New York Death Metal is synonymous with the brutal, rhythmic style pioneered by Suffocation, Baphomet, Morpheus Descends and the less-than-able proliferous hordes who followed. The region was no stranger to slower, Doom-influenced Metal, but the surge in popularity of Brutal Death Metal and the faux-tough-guy images of wiggers that came with it saw that bands like Winter, Sorrow and Ceremonium would not receive much attention within or after the span of their careers. Of all the aforementioned cursed undertakers of doom, it was the last of them to disband after a relatively lengthy existence who created enduring albums that had as much in common with the European tradition of melodicism as they did the desultory and engulfing heaviness induced by their own locality.
‘Into The Autumn Shade’ is a massive recording and a great debut by Ceremonium, using their sound setup of deep guitars and bass to thunder out intricate and epic songs that develop slow to mid-paced melodies, drawing inspiration from northern European bands like Creepmime and early Darkthrone, and with ‘Soulside Journey‘ and Paradise Lost‘s own morbid inauguration very apparent in the greater narrative sense of this album. Deep, mournful melodies are formed from the outset like an epitaph being inscribed at birth and are subjected to a rich, harmonic interplay which highlights the spiralling sadness of these riffs, fragments of which are carried away by heavier and more brutal passages, as the attachment to sorrow in life strips away all joy and comfort to reveal the inevitability of death. These elements are balanced well enough to preserve the emotional impact of such music. The pacing is managed with a riff’s melodic direction in mind, rather than through the awkward tempo shifts that many newer Doomdeath bands fall prey to in their divisive mentality. Keyboards appear frequently but this electro-vocal, choral layer bears down on the music as unintrusively as a forlorn, angelic statue that looms over an open grave, as the casket is lowered into the dirt. The actual vocals provided by Brandon Diaz are sometimes at odds with the mix, but the guitar thickness is usually powerful enough to even the sound out. Ceremonium’s statement of doomed Death Metal stands alongside the European heavyweights of this style, before they would move onto a more Black Metal influenced sound and successfully contend with those across the Atlantic once again.
Filed under: Death Metal Album of the Week — Tags: Brutal Death Metal, Death Metal, Doom Metal, Doomdeath, New York Death Metal — ObscuraHessian @ February 11, 2010 02:40 — Comments (4)
Wow! Ceremonium really amazing group. But i think they may be more brutalized
Comment by PingOfDeath — February 15, 2010 @ 20:40
I prefer No Longer Silent. This album is still excellent–tastefully dark, brooding and well-composed.
Comment by Eon — February 17, 2010 @ 05:12
The double discography album “Dreams We Have Written” will be released end of 2010 through Weird Truth Productions. It will contain both long out of print albums plus many unreleased tracks. Keep an eye out and thanks for supporting underground metal!
BTW The vocalist on “Into the Autumn Shade” is Oscar, not Brandon who appears on “No Longer Silent” to clarify the article. Splendid!
Comment by Tom — September 23, 2010 @ 17:57
Up now: Ceremonium official myspace page. Songs, bio posted and more coming soon. “Dreams We Have Written” discography will be out early 2011. New t-shirts will be available by end of 2010 it is hoped. add, like, die slowly
http://www.myspace.com/Ceremonium
Comment by Tom — December 7, 2010 @ 21:46