Ceremony - Zoo Album Review
Zoo is a grown-up album, one that shows Ceremony in a new light.
Album: Ceremony Zoo Release date: 5th March Website: www.ceremonyhc.com
rating: 3.5
2011 saw the hardcore scene re-emerge with a vengeance. It kicked, screamed and shoved (literally) its way back into the hearts and minds of many, whod been waiting patiently until hardcores day came again. However, some of you may be thinking now that Im talking a load of bollocks Whats he on about? Hardcore was around way before 2011, it never died. but think about it before you close this window and read some other reviewers opinion. In a way, hardcore did die. Alright, theres a few bands that have lasted and are still pummelling our ears with their low-tuned guitars since the 90s scene truly initiated modern hardcore into the shape its taken today. Take centre stage Converge, Sick Of It All and the newly-reformed-again Refused. But, towards the end of the 90s and the beginning of the 00s there werent that many quality new bands coming through. Perhaps its because the scene was so crowded. Or perhaps its because other genres were pulling through nu-metal, emo, post-hardcore most notably and the kids just didnt see true hardcore for what it was. As always, though, these fads died off and hardcore soon began to climb its way back up the ladder. This is none more obvious than Fucked Ups David Comes To Life being voted all over the place as one of the best albums of 2011. On one of these rungs of the ladder, the band Ceremony clung to and pretty quickly made their way up the ladder especially when they released their breakthrough LP, Rohnert Park. Rohnert was a truly hardcore piece of work: vented, furious vocals; high-tempo, irritated guitars, gluey, off-beat, battered drums, and it was these ingredients that made it such a quality album. So, after Rohnert Parks success, can the band follow it up with an equally as impressive album? Well, its certainly a very different piece compared to Rohnert Park. The heated vocals have been replaced by a slow drawl that sounds as if vocalist Ross Farrars just woken up after a mega session on the drink and the guitars lie barely above mid-tempo inducing an almost hypnotising effect. Oddly, this isnt a bad thing, though. If anything, the album is the most full-sounding album the band has come up with. Its simple, but still somehow crams layers of sound in. Farrars vocals may have been taken down a notch, but you still get his aggression. Forget the change of direction, this is the new Ceremony and this new Ceremony is just as effective as old. Hysteria has thin, crispy guitars and a drumbeat that pummels and crashes away behind the rhythmical, fuzzy chords. The chorus is one that is dying to be sung/shouted/whatever you want to do back at the band and Farrars almost nasty vocal style invokes images of him baying the crowd on and getting involved with the resulting pit as much as the most adoring fan will. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIrEcxvOzYI Repeating The Circle has a robust, snaking bass-line, which along with light, melodic guitars makes this track the most accessible on the album. Its a track that wouldnt be out of place on a surf-rock compilation you find sometimes, such is the gentle easing in of the sound and the drawn-out, melancholic ending. Adult is much in the same vein as the rest of the album but its the way Farrar puts himself across in this track that separates it from the rest. He brings the listener into the track, and then just as quickly throws them back out again; leaving them with the swirling, harassing guitars; before pulling them back in and most notably leaving them with the line of We have to give up on love sometime. This line is never more true, and especially for this latest effort from Ceremony. Even though the bands gone for a lighter touch, theyve shown that they can still have as much of a focused and driven sound without throwing the aggression at the listener. Zoo is a grown-up album, one that shows Ceremony in a new light: their trademark aggression, anarchism and rebellion may no longer be shaking the floors, walls and ceilings, leaving snaking cracks in the structure, but the cracks that this album does leave will definitely get bigger as time goes on.