Band: Ceremony
Genre: Death Metal
Album: Solitary Bleed
Released: 28.06.2025
(Reviewed by Raaf Atasi for MetalfromNL)
Ceremony is a veteran death metal band from Ridderkerk, South Holland. The band started out in 1989 and released their first full-length ‘Tyranny from Above’ in 1993 during the global heyday of death metal explosion. Soon thereafter, the band broke up in 1995, only to be resurrected 20 years later in 2015. The band then released their long awaited sophomore album ‘Retribution’ in 2019. The album was a great comeback effort and showed that the band was still in shape and ready to spread their brand of old school, somewhat technical, death metal around the world. This year of 2025 marked the unleashing of their third record ‘Solitary Bleed, with only 2 of the original guitarists and founding members remaining in the band; (Peter Verhoef) and (Johan van de Sluijs). The duo is also joined by (Mark Ketelaar) on bass, and who started doing vocals in 2024, replacing original and founding member vocalist (Micha Verboom) who left the band that same year.
So, how does the new offering by Ceremony, ‘Solitary Bleed’, fare in comparison to their classic debut and their come back album?
Composition
It is essential to mention right away that Ceremony changed their sound on this new album. They are certainly not the raw old school death metal band you knew from the 90s or even after their 2019 album ‘Retribution’. On ‘Solitary Bleed’, the band has decided to take a new approach. They added the symphonic element to their music. Moreover, it is safe to say that the band sounds more blackened death than death metal on this new record. Therefore, I think the subgenre category they adopted now would be symphonic blackened death metal. I believe the band decided to indulge a bit into a more accessible “mainstream” sound, as opposed to the raw, technical death metal one they once embraced. Think of bands like Behemoth, Septic Flesh, Fleshgod Apocalypse, and even Dimmu Borgir. Ceremony is now a combination of all these bands, with their own touch and flavour, to be sure. This does not mean that the band “sold-out” or anything like that, because they still have some absolutely pummeling old school blasts and riffs, grooves and unhinged aggression. But now, in a hookier and catchier approach, with new and fresh elements added to the mixture such as synth layering and even female vocals (done by the amazing (Linn Liv) from the bands Everything Decays, Pictura Poesis and Cyanide Paradise) on the title track ‘Solitary Bleed’. A very surprising element, but in the best way possible, and I will come to this song later in the review.
The album kicks in with the track ‘Via Dolorosa’. It starts off with an epic synth intro that sets the tone for the rest of the album’s atmosphere and heavy symphonic addition that will permeate. Soon thereafter, the blast beat commences and the vocal brutality that accompanies create an atmospheric blackened death carnage. Vicious tremolo picking riffs with some synth in the background painting a grim tone and image that defines the opening track. The tempo slowdown at minute 3:44 is glorious and well-placed. It is like a freight train that was grinding into a halt after moving at 500 mph.
One of the album’s highlights for me is the song ‘Only our Blood’. This tune is a total crusher. It starts with a riff that is heavily reminiscent of the mighty Morbid Angel and a little bit of old Ceremony themselves. Crushing blast beats, a 6/8 time signature only to resolve in an 8/8 measure at the end. Then a killer and technical groove follows and leaves your neck sore from headbanging east to west. Up until this point, the track is a total pummeling death metal manifestation. However, by the end of the first minute, the unexpected, yet well-placed, symphonic section greets you with a grin. Menacing yet melodic, very Dimmu Borgir-esque, and nothing short of catchy as all hell. Another element I love about this tune is the riff at minute 2:00. The polyrhythmic interplay between the guitar riff and drums is fantastic. Again, catchy as a flame to a moth.
The 3rd song ‘Bull of Phalaris’ has a massive Septicflesh vibe, especially minute 0:36 when the blast beat hits and those dissonant synth notes decorate the tremolo picking riff giving the whole section an atmosphere of theatrical horror. Moreover, The first 2 minutes of the track ‘The Posion Cup’ are basically epic, with a grandiose layering of synth and keys, setting an atmosphere that can be felt in bands like Dimmu Borgir and Cradle of Filth.
The black metal factor is very prevalent on this record. A couple of examples can be heard on the track ‘Embrace Inferno’ minute 3:01, which sounds inspired by Norwegian black metal legends Immoral and their albums ‘At the Heart of Winter’ and ‘Damned in Black’. This song is definitely one of the most vicious and malicious on the record. An array of brutality and a mix of death metal madness and black metal delicacy. The other demonstration of the black metal influence here is on one of my favourite songs ‘Rites of Sacrifice’, a song that is a lesson in hookiness and catchiness that grabs you by the jugular and won’t let go until you have hypnotically memorized this song (especially the chorus melody with the synth and awesome guitar chords). The black metal element kicks in full gear at minute 3:44. You instinctively feel like you’re listening to a Dissection song from the monumental album ‘Storm of the Light’s Bane’.
The most surprising song on this record is the title track. The female vocals threw me off guard at first, and then right back on once I heard Linn’s performance. The raw emotion, the rasp in her clean vocals, the grit and attitude as she describes how she’s being accused of heresy, the growls, it was all just perfection. Her vocal delivery approach reminded me a bit of (Agnete Kjolsrud)’s guest appearance on Dimmu Borgir’s ‘Gateways’. Same level of intensity, similar theatrical grit and attack, just incredibly immersive. The track itself is slow, very fitting for a concept like this and with enough space to let Lin shine. The song is catchy and thoughtfully structured and arranged. However, Linn’s vocals truly lift the song to a whole new level, thus making the title track ‘Solitary Bleed’ one of the highlights of this album.
The compositional factor in terms of transitions are brilliant on this record. One of the examples is the seamless transition between the awesome gut-wrenching instrumental ‘Ludicium Mortis’ with it’s heartfelt melodies and semi solos (which I wish there were more of) and into the neck-snapping ‘Stoning Commenced’ where the band kicks into full-on merciless aggression again. The riff on the 0:30 mark is devastating. Only to be followed by the unexpected synth work, and bringing back the eerie Dimmu Borgir vibe into form. And speaking of some obvious influences, at least to my ear, the Behemoth vibe mentioned earlier can be heard in songs like ‘The Poison Cup’ minute “3:33”. Good thing is that it reminds me of mid era Behemoth (which is my favourite Behemoth era) and albums such as ‘Thelema.6’ and ‘Zos Kia Cultus’ with its aggressive attack.
Another compositional highlight on the record is the duo guitarists understanding when to simplify the riffs in order to give space for the keys and synth to set the mood. Moreover, the songs are well structured and flow smoothly. Peaks and valleys in almost every song. One of the prime examples of that is the song ‘Pestis Bacteria’. The song is a mix of different genres, starting with a short synth intro and followed immediately by a face melting blast beat with a blackened death riff behind it. the synth layering on this song is fantastic and Mark’s vocal delivery is absolutely bestial! The transition to a more aggressive death metal section at 1:11 is masterful, only to bring the intensity down at minute 1:35 with a killer melodic death riff that escalates with the double bass section and a catchy vocal line. Minute 2:42 marks the smooth return of the epic synth atop the contagious melodic death riff to add a climatic sensation to the whole section. Finally, and to close off the track, a drop in intensity takes place with some magnificent keys accompanied with some theatrical horror-like screams and moans That section instantly reminded me of the Norwegian horror black metal band Morgul and their eerie, chilling atmosphere. Such a brilliant touch to ‘Pestis Bacteria’. These screams culminate with a sudden explosion of the blast beat that started out the song and achieved a full circle at the end. The song is an incredible display of structure, build-up, construction and arrangement.
As mentioned earlier, the album contains heaps of synth work and interludes best exemplified as the long intros to the songs ‘The Poison Cup’, ‘Embrace Inferno’, ‘Rites of Sacrifice’, as well as the orchestral version of the song ‘Bulls of Phalaris’ which concludes the album on an epic note. This attention to detail in the synth work helps make the album incredibly rich, dynamic and fantastically atmospheric for sure.
Performance
Mark’s vocals in certain parts are heavily reminiscent of those of (Piotr PaweÅ‚ Wiwczarek) from the mighty Vader, as well as (Nergal) from Behemoth. They are powerful, aggressive and, dare I say, emotional in the most vicious ways possible. Overall, he is absolutely steady throughout the whole album and delivers a massive brain-crusher of a performance on every song. Solid first effort as the band’s new lead vocalist. Furthermore, Mark’s bass playing is sufficient. There isn’t much show off or acrobatic display of bass badassery. Nevertheless, the bass sets the low end for the record pretty smoothly and simplistically.
As for the guitar work, Peter and Johan are riff masters. They know how to compose riffs that are either simple and catchy, or complicated and… also catchy. From open chords to tremolo picking to straight up groove, all flavours are executed masterfully and gracefully. Several odd time signature riffs that highlight their ability to manipulate timing and avoid predictability. This is demonstrated on tracks such as ‘Stoning Commenced’ minute 1:05 where they dabble into a 7/8 riff that is done very elegantly and with a tremendous hook to it at the same time. In short, the guitar work on this album is fantastic and very tastefully executed. One thing I wish had existed was some lead work and solos. The album is riff/atmosphere based, but there is a lot of space for some cool licks to intervene here and there and add more colour to the overall ambience of this brutal/melodic record.
To be frank, I could not tell if the drums on this album were programmed or played by an actual person. It does not specify on Metal Archives even on the guest list, but on the Zwaremetalen website it says that (Jasper van Minnen) is in the line-up on this album as the drummer. Either way, the drum work is pretty tasteful. If it was programmed, then it was done with maximum efficiency and attention to detail including accents, grooves, fills, and pure aggression. And if this was all played by Jasper, then kudos to the man, because his feel and precision are spectacularly flawless throughout the record.
Production
Production is pretty polished and crisp. The guitars are sharp, the vocals cut through the mix very nicely and aggressively. Moreover, the synth is well arranged and placed when listened to via a decent headset. The mix of the synth and keys definitely enhance the atmospheric experience of the record. I felt that the bass could have been a bit louder and given more room to breathe at some points. Finally, the drums (specifically the snare) sounds a bit too compressed for my taste. However, nothing major to complain about here, just a matter of taste I suppose.
Critique
As I mentioned earlier, I have a strong attachment to Ceremony’s older sound. To be clear, I love the new sound as well. But loving the older sound a tad more is purely based on sentiment at this point because I’m sure that some will probably prefer the new sound and the symphonic addition to the band’s arsenal. Another critique of mine is the lack of lead work. Solos are virtually absent on this album. Some also don’t care, but to me, and from a musical standpoint, solos would have added an extra desirable layer to the overall composition. One last element is in the production realm and that is the snare sound. It sounded a bit too compressed for my personal preferecne and did not sound a 100% organic to my ear. The rest of the instruments and the vocals sound crushing though!
Conclusion
‘Solitary Bleed’ is an incredibly solid effort by the death metal veterans Ceremony. An obvious change of musical direction, but not in a corny, forced manner. Do I prefer the older sound of Ceremony? Yes I do. But that’s most likely because I grew up with ‘Tyranny from Above’ as one of my cherished death metal classics. And this does not devalue the band’s new approach by any means. In fact, it is a proper display of a compositional arsenal that refused to dry out of ideas, and a fresh manifestation of the band for their next chapter. Some songs, obviously, stood out for me more than others, and the drum production (especially the snare) could have been more organic, but those are in the “ear” of the beholder. Some may like it this way and it’s totally fine. Additionally, I wish there were a bit more lead work on the record. Nonetheless, I see a big future open up for these guys with their new sound, and it is well deserved and masterfully earned.
Rating 8.5/10
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