Some albums feel timely while there are albums that feel eternal. “Ascension” by Ceremony Shadows belongs in the latter camp. It is dark, elegant, and utterly absorbing.
The Portland-based trio doesn’t just follow in the lineage of Darkwave and Post-Punk, they push their sound forward by breaking all the rules and shapeshifting the boundaries of what Darkwave could and should be.
Their debut album, “Ascension”, feels less like a release and more like a rite. Here, shadow grapples with gleam, electronics pulse beneath incantatory vocals, and each track spirals toward something transcendent yet unsettling.
“Ascension” is a must-listen for anyone who loves their music dark, dreamy, and a little otherworldly. If you’re into artists like Boy Harsher or Fever Ray, buckle up — this one’s for you.
The band’s focus on visuals sets them apart in an industry where standing out is everything. Their YouTube videos and live performance clips are like mini art installations, making “Ascension” not just a song but a full sensory experience.
It’s the kind of thing you’ll want to share with your friends who live for moody playlists and late-night vibes.
“Predator” is monstrous, leaning into the darker corners of Industrial and Electro. We think it’s safe to say that the revolution may have found a fitting soundtrack.
It's 2025, and your playlist is buzzing with AI-generated beats that sound almost too perfect, while self-driving cars hum by outside your window. Suddenly, you hit play on a track that drags you back to the gritty, human hum of 80s arcade machines and flickering VHS tapes. That's the electric pull of Ceremony Shadows' latest drop, "Future Past Collapse".
This Synthpop/Darkwave crossover isn't just catchy — it's a moody love letter to the tech we're on the verge of losing our grip on, wrapped in that irresistible 80s glow. If you're craving new Darkwave music that hits like a neon-lit fever dream, buckle up!
Their debut album “Ascension” signaled ambition.
“Future Past Collapse” confirms" it.
The term “transcendent” immediately comes to mind upon finishing “Ascension”, the debut LP from Ceremony Shadows. As a whole, the record sounds gorgeous and is the kind of album that gets better and better with every listen. Friends looking for the first great Darkwave release of 2025 can look no further!
Is it too early to earmark a song as one of the best of the year 2025? Because that’s kind of what we’re thinking with Ceremony Shadows’ new single, “Reclaim” - it's like an aural amalgamation of Christian Death or Pixel Grip facing off against Skinny Puppy or Bauhaus.
There’s an undeniable cinematic quality here, reminiscent of Depeche Mode, Fever Ray, and Boy Harsher, making it perfect for late-night drives, underground club scenes, or introspective moments ... Ceremony Shadows are carving out a space that feels both deeply nostalgic and boldly futuristic.
Nine impressive tracks that really manage to stand out with their sophisticated synth work, timeless vibe, and remarkable '80s feel. Their music is rich in expressiveness and builds an incredible sense of tension, making it absolutely irresistible for any electronic playlist out there.
Dancefloor filler with echoes of New Order, Human League and Depeche Mode. A bass-pushing banger. Score!
“Prey” is a high-quality release that solidifies Ceremony Shadows’ position as a formidable presence in the Electro and Darkwave scene.
— Parkett
Listening to the song feels like hearing the subversive danger of industrial music anew ... it should be a Darkwave/Goth dance club/night hit if it isn’t already.
Championing gloomy darkwave and fringe electronica, the Portland-based trio make ample use of industrial, techno-flavoured textures and synthesizers, together with massive drum hits and spacious, mysterious vocals ... an intense, brainiac aural experience, one that’s hard to forget, especially at first listen.
Something eerily near-future ... I’m not really sure where Ceremony Shadows are headed next, but I’ll likely be following right behind them as they’ve caught my attention.
Uncompromising and intense.
"Resistance" is an exercise in what makes Darkwave so appealing. Icy, ethereal, and gloomy, the electronics weave masterfully around dual singers, Anastasia and Jakub. "Resistance" could very easily find itself in the territory of being a club night anthem, as its chorus would soar across any dancefloor.
The synths are pulsing, the rhythms are hypnotic, and the whole thing feels like you’ve stumbled into some kind of badass musical ritual where you come out stronger on the other side.
Dark seductive synth-driven music with a cinematic and gothic tone which has elements of bands like Boy Harsher. It’s a groovy and sensual sound that feels like a late-night drive down a barren road.
— We All Want Someone To Shout For
The shadowy elegance of darkwave with the shimmering textures of electro-pop.
“Resistance” is a club banger, a new Goth anthem, yet still that best kept underground secret that you simultaneously want to succeed but also covet all for yourself.
Ceremony Shadows, a synth-infused indie band from the Pacific Northwest is revolutionizing the live music scene with their innovative fusion of ritual darkwave music and stunning visual performances.
With echoes of Coil’s bleak experimentalism melded with The Knife’s enigmatic, synth-pop allure, Ceremony Shadows invites listeners on a journey to rediscover the forgotten unity of life, love, and spirituality.
Their track “Resistance” feels very akin to Northern European sounds – influences that may stem from two of the band members having Polish and German backgrounds. That quality is also evident in the track’s fusion of glacial and smoky vocal performances, underpinned by a production style that finds a myriad of subtle shades in the monochromatic tones of the hypnotic and sensual electronic arrangement. If you like Kite, Boy Harsher, and LEATHERS, then “Resistance” is most certainly for you.
“Resistance” kickstarts with a bass-y pulse and wordless vocal entrancement, melding together for a nocturnal intrigue with shades of OMD and Depeche Mode; the haunting, menacing vocal tone and throbbing bass evolve seamlessly into new vocal emergences, maintaining a melodic mystique into the textured conclusion. The “always futile” chorus is replay-inducing in its hypnotic vocal refrain and heady synth tones, exemplary of Ceremony Shadows’ knack for atmosphere and melody alike.
Ceremony Shadows, an experimental Darkwave project from Portland led by Timo, sets this introspective narrative to Impetus, a hypnotic dance track, featuring vocalists Anastasia and Jakub. The band’s sound is a unique fusion, shaped by the varied backgrounds of its members hailing from the USA, Germany, and Poland, and their deep-rooted experiences in alternative music scenes and cultures. Their live performances are unique experiences across sound, light, and space, channeling Fever Ray, Spike Hellis, Pixel Grip, and Depeche Mode.
Ceremony Shadows liefert uns mit der neuen Single “Reclaim” einen interessanten Elektro-Sound, den ihr nicht verpassen solltet! Es ist das Projekt dreier begabter Künstler aus Portland, Oregon, die den modernen Pop auf ein komplett neues Niveau bringen!
“Impetus” is Ceremony Shadows' first release since progressing into a full band and as an opening gambit it works a treat. It is easy to see why the “Ritual Darkwave” band say this is a favourite at their live shows, there's that classic sense of moody electro, robotic beats and deadpan vocals, all combining to propel the arrangement along adeptly.
“Impetus” is a sensual mid-tempo electro tease that creeps under your skin without asking. Seductive, flirtatious and tempting. Dim the light and move in mysterious ways.
A significant departure from his typically stark, more abstract work, this track shows the beautiful range from this emerging artist with glimpses of his impressionistic sensibilities embedded throughout.
— Parkett
A symphony of vocal-like textures that are born from the realm of Artificial Intelligence, evoking a sense of both familiarity and eerie novelty, like an otherworldly garden where the flowers are both natural and synthetic.
El músico estadounidense conocido como Ceremony Shadows comparte remix que hace Vyger al sencillo «Idolatry» en el que colaboran de Anastasia Poirier y Jakub Jerzy, un track que explora estilos como gothic, Dark Wave, Electro, Cyberpunk y Darksynth desde una visión cercana al High Energy, en esta versión Remix se desarrolla un sonido que nace del caos, de la repetición pero justamente lo lleva a un lugar interesante, dinámico y energético, el cual propicia el baile a lo largo de este track, cada capa de sonido y textura suman una expresividad interesante que terminan por envolver la voz, el trabajo vocal profundo es un gancho interesante para mantener a los escuchas dentro de su narrativa.
— R+
Εκπληκτική και μυστηριακή μελωδία που εξάπτει τη φαντασία και ανεβάζει την αδρεναλίνη.
Τα επιβλητικά φωνητικά δημιουργούν μια παθιασμένη ατμόσφαιρα που απολαμβάνουμε χωρίς όρια.
Η δύναμη τους μας γοητεύει και μας μαγνητίζει.
Ο ρυθμός με την ήρεμη πληθωρικότητα του μας προκαλεί και μας οδηγεί πέρα από τα συνηθισμένα.
— Nagamag
Американский музыкант Ceremony Shadows вдохновлен высокими технологиями, искусственным интеллектом и немецкой готической сценой, пишет интересную электронику, в которой переплетаются элементы эмбиента, электро и тяжелой индустриальной музыки и этой весной представил ремикс своего коллеги Vyger на трек «Idolatry», записанный с Jakub Jerzy и Anastasia Poirier.
Инфернальный вокал, минималистичный и холодный звук синтезаторов, вибрирующий бас и выразительный акцент на экспериментальной сотавляющей. Звучит очень эффектно и наверняка придется по вкусу завсегдатаям EBM-вечеринок и адептам темной стороны техно-сцены.
Perfectamente oscuro y agradablemente brujo, una síntesis ingeniosa de una fusión lúdica de baile alegre y letras y entrega tiernas pero poderosas.
— R+
Pleasure Victim‘s new single, “Holy Violence”, including a couple of remixes from Ceremony Shadows and Xenachrona, club-ready the former, more experimental the latter, is out now on the main streaming platforms.