By a band’s fifth studio album, it’s likely they’ve gone through a transformation or two, and North Bay locals Ceremony are no exception. In anticipation of the release of their fifth LP, L-Shaped Man, the band released a new seven-minute long video encompassing two songs from the new album – “The Separation” and “The Understanding”.

It doesn’t take much time to recognize that this album focuses on the event and consequences of a breakup; vocalist Ross Farrar’s lyrics allude to it explicitly. Nor does it take much to notice how the band has departed from their once abrasive hardcore sound in favor of a more stripped-down, post-punk base. What’s interesting is how these two elements – the album’s context and the band’s change in sound – compliment each other. The two hand in hand offer a minimalistic, chilly and melancholy sound (akin to classic ‘80s English post-punk) to L-Shaped Man, something Ceremony has been inching closer to with each record leading up to this.

The new album, produced with John Reis (Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, Hot Snakes) comes out on Matador Records on May 19th. Catch the band performing live with Negative Approach at old haunt 924 Gilman in Berkeley on May 22.

Ceremony, Negative Approach, TBD
924 Gilman
May 22, 2015
8pm, $12 (or $2 with annual membership)