Blood Ceremony

Websites:  No
Origin: Toronto, Ontario
Biography:

Alia O’Brien: Vocals, Flute, Organ
Sean Kennedy: Guitars
Lucas Gadke: Bass
Michael Carrillo: Drums

Since the release of their sophomore album, Living With The Ancients, Blood Ceremony has worked hard to solidify their reputation as a worthy live act. Beginning with a well-received showcase at the prestigious Roadburn Festival, the band capped-off a series of 2011 European dates with Sweden‘s GHOST, playing a sold-out, headline show in London, UK. In the fall of 2011, they completed their first headlining tour of Europe, which saw the band received enthusiastically by fans in Scandinavia and Central Europe. This tour culminated in a performance at the Hammer of Doom VI Festival in Wurzburg, Germany. In 2012 they were direct support for GHOST on the highly successful “13 Dates of Doom” North American tour. Later in 2012, Blood Ceremony performed at Calgary‘s celebrated NOCTIS V Metal Festival.

“Only at a Blood Ceremony show are devil horns the correct response to a triumphantly raised flute.“ — NOW MAGAZINE

After these live performances, Blood Ceremony enclosed themselves within a dank, tomb-like chamber to begin preparations for their third album. After a mind-numbing spell in the analogue womb of Toronto’s ProGold Studios, the band is now ready to unveil their newest, and most accomplished, musical offering: The Eldritch Dark.

Recorded and mixed by producer Ian Blurton (Cauldron, Cursed) and mastered by Canadian recording legend Nick Blagona (Deep Purple, Rainbow, Crazy World of Arthur Brown), The Eldritch Dark is a full-length paean to the darker corners of folklore and legend. Containing eight tracks of black magic rock ‘n’ roll, the album crackles with the excitement of a nocturnal ritual.

Tales of witch-cult gatherings in wooded glens, pacts made in torch-lit abbeys and Victorian magic are accompanied by vintage-style hard rock riffs, snaking bass lines and stirring flute melodies. The Eldritch Dark also sees the band exploring a more folksier side of their sound; most evident in the hymn-like “Lord Summerisle” and the murderous folk-rock epic, “Ballad of the Weird Sisters”. Nineteenth century sorcerer, Oliver Haddo, makes a return appearance in the riff-hypnotic album closer, “The Magician”.