Ceremony Shadows – Ascension (Digital Album – Ceremony Shadows)
Based in Portland, USA, Ceremony Shadows has been active for several years. Although previously unknown to me, the band has released a handful of works over time and now returns with a new offering.
The intro doesn’t fully reveal what the band stands for but offers a hint that quickly takes shape. Ceremony Shadows embraces a kind of minimalism, applying it to a blend of electro, body-wave, and pop influences. Deep basslines are paired with simple, cold sequences, while the vocal production-featuring a mix of male and female voices-adds a dynamic, ever-shifting texture.
While the overall production could still benefit from some refinement, the album sounds promising and clearly demonstrates the band’s potential. (Rating:7).
Listen to “Reclaim”:
About Ceremony Shadows
Ceremony Shadows is a darkwave trio based in Portland, Oregon, describing its sound as influenced by a diverse geographical upbringing across the United States, Germany, and Poland. The band places heavy emphasis on stagecraft, building its live performances around custom-programmed lights and visual projections.
“Ascension”, reviewed here, was released on March 20, 2025, produced by Timo Kissel and mixed and mastered by Maurizio Baggio at Distilleria Studios.
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I have been working for over 30 years with Side-line as the main reviewer. My taste is eclectic, uncoventional and I prefer to look for the pearls, even if the bands are completely unknown, thus staying loyal to the Side-Line philosophy of nurturing new talents.
