Ceremony live @ Aloft on May 1, 2010 (Photograph by Benjamin Spradley)
Ceremony Rocket Fire
Killer Pimp
It’s been a while since My Bloody Valentine released Loveless in 1991 and the subsequent years have garnished our musical palates with ethereal, mournful fruit. The ’90s is littered with bands who tried and failed to pick up the reins abandoned by MBV, and it took many years for the band’s influence to form into the lasting promise of Loveless. Then of course, there’s also the Jesus and the Mary Chain, The Cure, and a host of other shoegazer bands that lent to the noisy, melancholy ’80s sound of disaffected musicians.
Sipping from an enlightened proboscis, separated from the troubled ’90s, came Skywave, who hailed from Fredricksburg, Virginia. Skywave lit up the American shoegaze scene, receiving excited approbation for their strong, furious sound. The band prematurely flickered out, discharging three embers. The bassist, Oliver Ackerman, moved to Brooklyn, NY and founded A Place to Bury Strangers. The other two, Paul Baker and John Fedowitz (both musicians share duties on bass, guitar, vocals, and drum machine in Ceremony) remained in Skywave’s city of origin and put together Ceremony — one of the more exciting bands of the movement for the resurgence of shoegazer.
Due to the seeds sown from Skywave’s beginnings, it’s easy to notice the similarity of APTBS and Ceremony’s “wall of noise,” but the differences begin thereafter. While Ackerman’s band became a finely tuned, throbbing explosion, Ceremony retained more of the traditional sound of shoegazer; classically rooted in My Bloody Valentine, the Jesus and the Mary Chain, and even the Cure, as displayed on the eighth track, “Someday”…more on that later.
Ceremony’s Rocket Fire (Killer Pimp) begins with the obvious single of the album, “Stars Fall.” Its catchy hook remains relevant through the entire track, displaying the wonderful hollow sound of Fedowtiz’s bass. The song teeters between minor and major chords striking a raw nerve and moody vibe that is instantly addicting. “Stars Fall” is one of the more uplifting songs of the album; marked with a haunting chorus as the distortion of Baker’s guitar plows through the gut of the song’s theme. The singer’s eerie vocals warble like a voice from the dead captured on tape and remains so throughout the album.
Released on April 27, 2010
There are many great songs on Rocket Fire, such as “Silhouette,” “It’s Too Late,” and “Regret.” The eighth track, “Someday,” is outstanding, harkening the Cure’s Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me; the bass rumbles and the guitars glimmer with New Order-ish delight; trembling over every note.
Although the album rarely misses, songs like “Marianne” have been heard many times before, not that it’s a bad thing but the track almost makes Ceremony sound like a tribute band. Although this reviewer was unable to obtain more information on Ceremony’s previous releases, one could surmise this band’s seminal era, so lending its talents to a classical sound is easily acceptable. The song is, after all, well executed and Ceremony will surely grow from it on future releases.
Ceremony recently performed at Aloft in Midtown Manhattan on Saturday, May 1st. The band articulated the album’s glittering, noisy, and elegant sound live. The performance did what the album does, which is construct a loud and beautiful set of tunes that will remain in your playlist for a long time. Rocket Fire has an obsessive quality about it, like an elusive auditory dream one tries to replicate over and over.
Rocket Fire is pure pleasure, ranking as one of the best of the year, which has already seen too many disappointments. (See: Yeasayer Odd Blood, MGMT Congratulations). I predict the album will continue to be be one of the most memorable efforts of the year.
Release Date: April 27, 2010
LP Release: May 25, 2010
Track Listing
- “Stars Fall”
- “Never Make You Cry”
- “Breaking Up”
- “For Her Smile”
- “Marianne”
- “Silhouette”
- “Don’t Leave Me Behind”
- “Someday”
- “It’s Too Late”
- “Regret”
