While most classic doom revival bands' inclination seems to be to put their heads down, grow their hair long, and follow in the footsteps of
Black Sabbath, Toronto's
Blood Ceremony are taking a different approach. Tapping into the more pastoral proto-metal sound of
Jethro Tull, the band takes listeners on a sprawling and psychedelic journey on its third album,
The Eldritch Dark. With a quasi-mystical combination of frantic flute, searing guitars, and brooding organ,
Blood Ceremony pay tribute to the English prog bands that helped to shape heavy metal during its more elemental and formative years. With such careful attention to detail,
The Eldritch Dark isn't just an homage to the sounds of the past, it's also a gateway to another era in metal history that, with any luck, more bands will go into and explore.