Even amid this decade’s flowering of woman-fronted occult psych doom, Seremonia continue to distinguish themselves with their spooky, instinctive garage jams.
Propelled by the ragged, elastic drumming of Erno Taipale and topped with the haunting, dispassionate Finnish vocals of enigmatic frontwoman Noora Federley, Kristalliarkki (‘Crystal Sheet’) rocks and rolls between heavy, heady ritualistic doom, frenetic bursts of psychedelic punk and pine-scented mellow passages – most powerfully evoked on hypnotic epic Kristalliarkki I, brooding and building for 15 blissful minutes – augmented by otherworldly flutes, horror-soundtrack synths, bonkers Hammond plus a dash of harp and sax.
Although the pretty sleeve might appear to presage a more accessible approach, that’s hard to detect in these dark, cryptic vibes, although tunes like Alfa Ja Omega further develop Seremonia’s exotic 60s pop savvy.
There’s something resonant and beguiling about this freaky five-piece that transcends time and scene./o:p
