Ceremonial Castings Salem 1692 (MMXX)

It has been known that two-thirds of the members from Ceremonial Castings are direct descendants of Judge John Hathorne. We in no way shape or form condone the actions of what took place in Salem in the year of 1692 and we dedicate this album to all who suffered through this event, especially the nineteen who died. In your honor, we reverse the curse.

While it is still unclear whether CEREMONIAL CASTINGS have officially returned from the grave, this new re-recording of Salem 1692 sounds exceptionally fresh, richly detailed, and fully conveys the mysticism so crucial to their aesthetic. It’s as immersive as ever, if not more so due to the richly kaleidoscopic sound – organic, analog, but not once sacrificing any of the otherworldliness which endeared CEREMONIAL CASTINGS to so many. And now, in 2020, as more ancient and classicist styles of black metal take hold with a new generation, “symphonic black metal” need no longer be a dirty word: this re-recording of Salem 1692 is poignant proof of the subgenre’s inherent power to transport the listener to forgotten realms and dimensions far, far away from modernity.

1. Beneath the Sabbath Moon
2. Where the Witches Waltz
3. The Devil in Salem
4. Obsidian Spells of Hysteria
5. The Dreamstalk Masquerade
6. The Crucible and the Cross
7. Damned Be Those of the Craft
8. Onwards to Gallows Hill
9. Stones Upon the Warlock
10. When Winter Spectres Come
11. The Search for Tranquility