Ceremony and Spelling

Originally formed under the moniker Violent World in 2005, the name was soon changed Ceremony led by members Ross Farrar, Anthony Anzaldo, Andy Nelson, Justin Davis, Jake Casarotti. The band’s debut release was the 2005 EP “Ruined” on Malfunction Records, which introduced Ceremony’s aggressive musical aesthetic. The 13-minute full-length “Violence Violence” followed in 2006, offering short bursts of intensity, and catapulting the group to punk rock notoriety. Earning widespread critical acclaim the record was succeeded by the EP “Sacred People” in 2007.

In 2008 Ceremony issued their sophomore studio album “Still Nothing Moves You” on Bridge 9 Records. Led by the single “He-God-Has Favored Our Undertakings”, the record took a step back from the high energy noise attack of their debut and paved the way for future releases drawing greater influence from Joy Division. Representing Ceremony’s most accessible album to date, the group’s third album “Rohnert Park” arrived in 2010 led by the single “Sick”. The following year, marking their final release on Bridge 9, Ceremony issued the EP “Ceremony 6 Cover Songs” featuring six covers.

The group subsequently signed with Matador Records who issued their fourth full-length “Zoo” in 2012. Spawning the singles “Hysteria” and “Adult”, Ceremony followed the release by contributing the song “Tourette’s” to the Nirvana tribute album “In Utero, in Tribute, in Entirety” in 2014. A year later the band issued the Joy Division inspired full-length “The L-Shaped Man” in May 2015. Once again earning rave reviews the record was led by the singles “The Understanding”, “The Separation”, and “Your Life in France”.