Blood Ceremony

Taking their name from a 1972 Spanish horror flick named Ceremonia Sangrenta, Toronto, Canada's Blood Ceremony traffic in authentic '70s doom and heavy prog laden with occult themes and occasional folk and psych rock flourishes — none of it betraying the secret of having been recorded over 30 years after the fact. Rather, beginning in 2006, bandmembers Alia O'Brien (vocals, flute, organ), Sean Kennedy (guitar), Chris Landon (bass), and Andrew Haust (drums) rejected all forms of modern sounds to embrace vintage analog technology in the pursuit of their ancient history project, gradually refining their style with shows in Toronto, Montreal, and every town in between (often performing alongside mind-altering film projections), while making sporadic U.S. forays in league with bands like Danava, the Illuminati, and Sweden's likeminded Witchcraft. By the end of 2007, Blood Ceremony had secured a deal with England's simpatico Rise Above label and begun work on their eponymous debut album with producer Pete Hudson. Blood Ceremony was mixed by the renowned Billy Anderson prior to its 2008 release.