Ceremony Announce First New Album in Four Years, Share First Cut

Ceremony have returned with a biting new single titled “Turn Away the Bad Thing,” the first cut from their newly announced album and Relapse Records debut In The Spirit World Now.

The track begins and ends with flanging—a see-sawing of noise cut by a razor-sharp guitar lead and a drifting synth. Its chorus transforms Ceremony’s post-punk edge into new wave before leading into a glimmering break of gentle female falsettos, hazy synth and piano.

“Turn Away the Bad Thing” sees a further departure from the band’s now-retired hardcore genre and showcases the band’s sonic growth, two major elements of piecing together the band’s forthcoming album.

Marking the band’s first new material in four years, In The Spirit World Now is described as a pop-centric album with noise-punk and post-punk influences, and the band’s “most visceral and hard hitting record yet,” per a press release.

“We knew this had to be the best thing we have ever done,” lead guitarist Anthony Anzaldo said in a statement. “We couldn’t come back after four years with a record that only had a few good songs … Not reflecting on the evolution of the band is what keeps us motivated. There is always a song we haven’t written, a band we haven’t played with, artwork we haven’t thought of. We are creators by nature, not by choice.”

In The Spirit World Now is set to arrive Aug. 23 via Relapse Records, and you can preorder the album here.

Ceremony are currently touring down the West Coast with Sheer Mag and have announced two record release shows in anticipation of their new album. You can find both sets of dates below.

Check out the band’s new music video, the album’s artwork and tracklist, and Ceremony’s upcoming live dates below. While you’re at it, revisit our 2012 chat with the band here.

In The Spirit World Now Artwork:

In The Spirit World Now Tracklist:
01. Turn Away the Bad Thing
02. In the Spirit World Now
03. Further I Was
04. /
05. Presaging The End
06. Say Goodbye to Them
07. We Can Be Free
08. //
09. Years of Love
10. Never Gonna Die Now
11. I Want More
12. From Another Age
13. ///
14. Calming Water

Ceremony Tour Dates:

June
26 – Portland, Ore. @ Hawthorne Theater #
28 – Reno, Nev. @ Holland Project #
29 – Las Vegas, Nev. @ American Legion Hall #
30 – Santa Ana, Calif. @ Observatory #

July
03 – San Diego, Calif. @ Irenic #
05 – Fresno, Calif. @ Strummers #

August
23 – San Francisco, Calif. @ August Hall !
24 – Los Angeles, Calif. @ The Regent !

(# – with Sheer Mag)
(! – Record Release Show with Pissed Jeans and TBA special guests)