Their 2012 self-titled debut was a gloriously weird psychedelic rocker — full of garage fuzz, vague devil worship and eerie melodicism — and today, engaging Finnish bizarros Seremonia have announced a quick turnaround on a follow-up. Svart, who also handled the debut, will issue Ihminen on Oct. 18. I haven’t heard it yet, but I’ve got high hopes coming off the last one and the track “Ovi,” which was released as a 7″ earlier this year and which you can hear on the player that follows the PR wire info below.

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SEREMONIA set release date for new SVART album

Today, SVART RECORDS sets October 18th as the international release date for SEREMONIA’s second album, ihminen, to be released on both CD and LP formats. Finnish for “human,” SEREMONIA’s ihminen follows the band’s self-titled debut album, released to worldwide critical acclaim last year by SVART. The first taste of this psychedelic new album can be heard in “Ovi,” released earlier this year on 7″: https://soundcloud.com/svart-records/seremonia-ovi. Cover and tracklisting for SEREMONIA’s ihminen are as follows:

Tracklisting for SEREMONIA’s ihminen
1. Noitamestari
2. Itsemurhaaja
3. Ovi
4. Suuri Valkeus
5. Painajaisten Maa
6. Luonto Kostaa
7. Ihminen
8. Itsemurhaaja II
9. Vastaus Rukouksiisi
10. Tähtien Takaa
11. Hallava Hevonen

SEREMONIA comes from Finland, plays heavy psychedelic rock, and sings in their native language. Their eponymous debut album was released by SVART RECORDS in 2012. Since then, the band has played their creepy brand of psych rock in very different venues, be it small punk rock dives or bigger festivals like Finland’s Tuska, Denmark’s Heavy Days in Doomtown, or Holland’s Roadburn. On their sophomore album ihminen, the band both continues the primitive pounding of their eponymous debut and expands their trademark sound into more epic directions.

SEREMONIA’s influences still come from the most psyched-out acid vinyls the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s have to offer. On ihminen, the influence of old Finnish punk and prog rock is more audible than before. The prevailing theme in Ilkka Vekka’s lyrics is the lunacy and evil in man. It’s not a concept album with a clear storyline, but every single song paints a coherently pessimistic picture of these dark times we’re all living in.

The explosively unpredictable nature of SEREMONIA’s onstage playing has been captured in the studio. The bass churns out the catchy riffs, screeching fuzz guitars wail feverishly, and drums pummel away in a psychotic frenzy. Flutes, synthesizers and bold use of effects add cosmic dimensions to the mix. On top of these psychedelic dirges, vocalist Noora Federley preaches the dark gospel in a blood-chillingly cool manner. The 2010s may have more than its share of Black Sabbath-influenced retro-rock bands, but SEREMONIA stands out from the crowd just by naturally sounding a few notches more creepy and weird than your average hippie doomsters.

SEREMONIA lineup
Noora Federley – vocals
Teemu Markkula -electric and acoustic guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
Ville Pirinen – electric guitars, synthesizer, backing vocals
Erno Taipale – drums, flute, guitar
Ilkka Vekka – bass, synthesizer

SEREMONIA discography
Rock’n’rollin maailma / Nämä kesäiset päivät 7” (Svart 2012)
Seremonia CD/LP (Svart 2012)
Ovi / Vastaus rukouksiisi 7” (Svart 2013)
Ihminen CD/LP (Svart 2013)

MORE INFO:
www.facebook.com/seremonia666
www.svartrecords.com
www.facebook.com/svartrecords

Seremonia, “Ovi”