LORD OF MISRULE

Powerfull occult heavy rocking output from Blood Ceremony, who, in their fourth release, sound as accessible as they have ever done. Sure, the Black Widow feeling is here (especially in the more sophisticated parts such as "The Devil's Widow") but there is considerable difference in the philosophy of the song-writing. Pagan and obscure themes still dominate the lyrics but song durations have reduced by a touch and the heavy rocking riffs are piling up.

Quite a few tracks would easily stream on mainstream radio (Loreley, Half Moon Street, Flower Phantoms to name but a few) and the overall feel of the album is quite relaxed, the late 60's and Sabbath make their mark across the whole album; the doom references are nearly obsolete (exception is the haunting "The Rogue's Lot") and replaced with a street rocking/psych tempo with brilliant flute passages and the economical use of the organ. Other great moments can be found in the title track with its twin melodies and tempo changes, and the beautifully sung "Weird of Finistere". The vocals are exceptional and the filters applied agree with the psych sound the band wants to produce.

There are very few flaws to find on this album, which can be streamed more than pleasantly in its entirety, but there are also few elements that would make it trully exceptional or help it reach masterpiece level. Warmly recommended for heavy rock/prog/retro rock followers, this would be an album that could spin quite a few times in your player.

3.5 stars