Ceremonys fifth studio album, The L-Shaped Man, uses singer Ross Farrars recent breakup as a platform to explore loneliness and emotional weariness, but it is by no means a purely sad album. Rather than look inward, Farrar uses his experience to write about what it means to go through something heavy and come out the other side a different person. In order to tell Farrars story, Ceremony have almost completely stripped back the propulsive hardcore of their previous records, turning every angry outburst into simmering despair. Weve always tried to be minimalists in writing, even if its loud or fast or abrasive, says lead guitarist Anthony Anzaldo. Its really intense when I hear it. Not in a way where you turn everything up to ten. Things are so bare, youre holding this one note for so long and you dont now where its goingto me, thats intensity. That intensity is apparent on Exit Fears, the first full song on the record. It meticulously pairs Justin Davis loping bassline, which pulls the track along, with Anzaldos icy, minimal guitar work. It brings to mind some alternate version of Joy Division that hasnt quite lost all hope. It gets close to exploding, but instead plays the shadows, never quite rising above a nervous simmer. The sound is abetted by producer John Reis, who honed his sound in seminal bands like Rocket from the Crypt, Drive Like Jehu, and Hot Snakes. Much of the gravelly aggression he experimented with in those bands is present on The L-Shaped Man.

• Format Detail: LP standard Jacket
• Format: Vinyl
• Genre: Rock

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