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Anteater · 12-16-2013, 07:21 PM

16. Blood Ceremony - The Eldritch Dark

Genre: Hard Rock, Occult Rock, Doom Metal, Acid Folk

Sounds Like: Black Widow, Black Sabbath, Jethro Tull, Witchfinder General, The Devil's Blood

At some point within the last couple of years, female-fronted doom rock bands started popping up out of nonexistence and took on something resembling a novelty value amongst the savvy Internet musicgoing crowd. But of the many acts that call the 70's occult rock greats and the 80's doom progenitors mom & dad, none have made quite as big a splash nor sharpened their sound so succintly over so short a period as Blood Ceremony, Canada's queen ensemble of dark enchantment.

After getting signed to Metal Blade and having their previous material reissued, 2013 was most certainly this Toronto act's finest year so far, least of all since their 3rd release The Eldritch Dark not only marks their first release on the emperor of all metal labels, but also because it is a magic-infused kick to the ass and probably the best set of songs we've scrounged out of 'em yet!

As a lover of all things doom and gloom, these guys were probably a shoe in for me either way, but this truly does cast a remarkable spell. Sure you expect the sludgy guitar harmonies, mudslinging rhythm section and enough flutes to make you wonder if you stumbled into a Tull record on accident, but when that haunting mandolin steps in on songs like 'Ballad Of The Weird Sisters' or that wailing organ rushes to the forefront on closing epic 'The Magician" as lead vocalist Alia O'Brien mantras wordlessly into a strange drone...yeah, you could almost see these guys around a magic circle in the Northwestern woods somewhere, baiting devils out of hell with fresh virgins hung by their feet on a redwood tree.

Needless to say, this was my top 2013 LP for all things Satanic and bloody fun, so throw on those rune inscribed robes and celebrate Halloween all over again before the New Year arrives. You'll be glad you did!