BLOOD CEREMONY RELEASE NEW LP “Living with the Ancients”

Toronto-based occult rockers BLOOD CEREMONY will release their sophomore album Living with the Ancients on March 1, 2011 via Rise Above Records / Metal Blade. Living with the Ancients expands on the sound cultivated by the quartet with its critically-celebrated self-titled debut which was released in 2008 and dubbed “skull-crushing by SPIN.

BLOOD CEREMONY‘s distinct style of flute-tinged “witch rock” evolves from an infernal marriage of occult-inspired acid folk and vintage hard rock riffing. After a mind-numbing study of hundreds of witchcraft-themed films, the group began to pour their energies into crafting songs, transforming their fascination for horror into a profane musical vision. Invoking the mischievous “Pipes of Pan”, BLOOD CEREMONY‘s songs are distinguished by singer Alia O’Brien’s invoking flute solos, accenting an instrument long-associated with a list of devilish figures. Although the tag of “Heavy Metal” may be a stretch, there is a sense of heaviness and funereal gloom in the band’s music — as well as a lyrical obsession with eldritch themes — that aligns them with much of traditional Doom metal. BLOOD CEREMONY keeps it simple and heavy; their songs are tempered with strong, brooding melodies that could readily appeal to fans of Black Sabbath and Black Mountain alike.

Living with the Ancients was recorded in Chicago with Sanford Parker (Zoroaster, Yakuza, etc.). The album displays a noticeable growth in the band’s songwriting skill and a strong musical maturity. Wider influences from obscure areas can be heard fluctuating beyond the more obvious comparisons associated their aforementioned debut.

A sneak peak at what Living with the Ancients holds in store can be heard now as the new BLOOD CEREMONY song “Oliver Haddo” has been posted online at this location. The landing page also allows fans to pre-order the new album. Dig it today!

HIGH ON FIRE AND (THE) MELVINS TO TEAM UP FOR TOUR DATES IN NEW ZEALAND AND JAPAN

HIGH ON FIRE has announced plans to tour both New Zealand and Japan with (the) Melvins. The world renowned trios will kick off the NZ live dates on February 11. Both bands will then take part in the 2011 installment of Soundwave, an annual music festival held in major cities around Australia. HIGH ON FIRE will join Iron Maiden, Queens of the Stone Age, Slayer, Rob Zombie, Monster Magnet and more as a featured act on the traveling festival which will launch on February 26 in Brisbane, AUS.

Immediately upon the conclusion of the Soundwave run, HIGH ON FIRE and The Melvins will storm Japan. The dates will include stops in Osaka (March 9), Nagoya (March 10) and Tokyo (March 11). HIGH ON FIRE continues to tour in support of its critically acclaimed album Snakes for the Divine.

HIGH ON FIRE”s upcoming live itinerary is shaping up as follows:

February 13 San Francisco, CA Slim’s
February 19 Auckland, NZ The King’s Arms (w/ The Melvins)
February 20 Dunedin, NZ ReFuel (w/ The Melvins)
February 21 Christchurch, NZ Al’s Bar (w/ The Melvins)
February 22 Wellington, NZ Bodega (w/ The Melvins)
February 23 Auckland, NZ Whammy Bar
February 24 Auckland, NZ Whammy Bar
February 26 Brisbane, AUS RNA Showgrounds (*Soundwave)
February 27 Sydney, AUS Sydney Showgrounds (*Soundwave)
March 1 Brisbane, AUS HiFi (Trash Talk & Kylesa support)
March 2 St. Kilda, AUS Gershwin Room @ Esplanade Hotel (Trash Talk & Kylesa support)
March 4 Melbourne, AUS Melbourne Showgrounds (*Soundwave)
March 5 Adelaide, AUS Bonython Park Oval (*Soundwave)
March 7 Perth, AUS Claremont Showgrounds (*Soundwave)
March 9 Osaka, Japan Club Quattro (w/ The Melvins)
March 10 Nagoya, Japan Club Quattro (w/ The Melvins)
March 11 Tokyo, Japan O-East (w/ The Melvins)

THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX, NEW ALBUM AND TOUR DATES

Legendary New Jersey hard rock band THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX (also TAB) will release its new album The Local Fuzz on April 26 via Tee Pee Records. The trio’s fifth full length effort delivers an advanced take on its blistering, virtuosic sound via a single, glorious 42 minute song titled “The Local Fuzz” that contains no less than “50 riffs back to back”, perfectly capturing the unit’s vivid execution and ambitious vision.

Recorded at the Panic Room in Neptune, NJ, The Local Fuzz pushes THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX‘s high-octane groove and powerful strut to new heights of unencumbered artistic expression. The band’s “Rush-like riff mazes” weave through natural pop structures nearly effortlessly while the record’s out-of-site production showcases the musicians’ prowess at the apex of their career to date. Widely recognized as pioneers of the modern hard (or “stoner”) rock sound, The Local Fuzz shows THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX as a forward-thinking band not content to rest on career accomplishments; instead surging forward to give fans a brand new way to re-experience the exhilarating rush and sonic assault of heavyweight Rock ‘N’ Roll.