‘CEROMONIES’
Live album and DVD
New release date - March 19th, 2012
Fields Of The Nephilim have unveiled the first track from their forthcoming ‘Ceromonies’ project. ‘Penetration’ is a dazzling assault on the senses; a ferocious blast of machine-gun strobes and billowing dry-ice that switches between vivid colours and intense monochromatic flashes, set to a precise, brutal and ritualistic soundtrack.
A demonstration of their dark power which first featured on the ‘Zoon’ album, ‘Penetration’ is an example of the Nephilim at their most extreme, a track which welds the jackhammer rhythms and guttural roar of that album’s industrial vision to the chiming guitars and dramatic melodies for which they are most widely known.
Whilst other tracks such as the elegaically beautiful epic ‘Wail Of Sumer / And There Will Your Heart Be Also’ from the ‘Elizium’ period demonstrate the softer, more atmospheric moments in their canon, and the likes of ‘Moonchild’, ‘Preacher Man’ and ‘Psychonaut’ represent some of the band’s biggest hits, ‘Penetration’ is a unexpected shot of adrenaline straight to the heart.
To watch ‘Penetration’ click here
Long-awaited and much anticipated by the Nephilim’s faithful fans, ‘Ceromonies’ will now be released on March 19th. This new date comes after an inferno which engulfed frontman Carl McCoy’s studio as he put the final touches to the project. With the damage contained and all ‘Ceromonies’ complete, it emerges from the fire into the world on March 19th.
A special limited-edition ‘Collector’s Box’ of the entire ‘Ceromonies’ project containing the double-CD live album, the live concert DVD, double-vinyl pressing and an exclusive array of Nephilim merchandise and artefacts, presented in a beautifully designed and branded wooden box, will be available to pre-order shortly via the Nephilim Online Store.
The release of ‘Ceromonies’ closes the chapter on Fields Of The Nephilim’s past and signals their reactivation as a potent force to come. With European performances confirmed this summer including a prestigious mainstage slot at Germany’s massive M’era Luna festival preceding headliners Placebo, and exciting live announcements soon to be made, the Nephilim will be performing a new set of classics and surprises.
‘Ceromonies' was recorded over two sell-out shows at London's Shepherds Bush Empire and features songs from all stages of Fields Of The Nephilim’s career from their earliest recordings such as 'Trees Come Down' to their most recent studio album 'Mourning Sun'.
Beautifully edited and directed by Carl McCoy at his visual production company, Sheerfaith, the DVD is a striking example of why this most elusive and mysterious of bands has been revered for so long and represents a breath-taking document of the band’s musical dominance over metal, gothic and industrial music for the past three decades.
The double-CD set - only the second live album the band have ever released and a perfect companion to its live predecessor, 1991's legendary 'Earth Inferno' - is a sensory treat; the enormous sound and brooding instrumentation of the band bursting forth from the speakers, crowned with McCoy's haunting incantations and tour-de-force vocals.
'Ceromonies' is released as a 3-disc digipack, featuring the double CD live album and DVD, a two-disc vinyl album, a digital download album featuring the bonus track 'Last Exit For The Lost' and as a limited-edition ‘Collector’s Box’ featuring all of the above and a wealth of extra artefacts.
Fields of The Nephilim will be announcing details of brand new studio recordings later this year.
‘CEROMONIES’
Ad Mortem : Ad Vitam
Double live album and DVD
As frontman Carl McCoy says: "The Ceromonies project is about crystallising a point in time which embodies magical moments created by Fields Of The Nephilim. Having focussed on the live elements over the last few years this represents a closure and regeneration. Ceromonies is a representation and remembrance of where the Nephilim is right now, from this point we move forward. We continue to evolve."
Recorded over two sell-out shows at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire, ‘Ceromonies’ features songs from their earliest days such as ‘Trees Come Down’ and ‘Preacher Man’, through a series of undeniable classics including ‘Moonchild’, ‘Psychonaut’ and a rare performance of ‘Celebrate’, whilst taking in the dramatic soundscapes of the mid-‘90s Nefilim incarnation (‘Penetration’, ‘Shine’ and ‘Zoon’), and coming right up to date with the band performing tracks from their most recent studio album ‘Mourning Sun’.
‘Ceromonies’ also includes a very rare live performance of ‘Wail Of Sumer / And There Will Be Your Heart Also’, the thirteen minute, elegiac finale of the band’s landmark ‘Elizium’ album.
Following hot on the heels of October’s sold-out Brixton Academy show, which not only had queues of devoted fans stretching around the building for hours beforehand desperate to get in, but saw the band deliver an incredible set of old and new to rapturous acclaim, ‘Ceromonies’ is a breath-taking document of Fields Of The Nephilim’s musical dominance over metal, gothic and industrial music for the past three decades.
As a visual document, the DVD captures the true essence of the band, bringing the ritualistic nature of their live show to the screen and demonstrating the quite remarkable power of their performance. Beautifully edited and directed by Carl McCoy at his visual production company, Sheer Faith, it is a striking example of why this most elusive and mysterious of bands has been revered for so long.
The double-CD set – only the second live album the band have ever released and a perfect companion to its live predecessor, 1991’s legendary ‘Earth Inferno’ – is a sensory treat; the enormous sound and brooding instrumentation of the band bursting forth from the speakers, crowned with McCoy’s haunting incantations and tour-de-force vocals.
‘Ceromonies’ is released as a 3-disc digipack featuring the double CD live album and DVD, a two-disc vinyl album, and a digital download album featuring the bonus track ‘Last Exit For The Lost’.
Details of a special strictly limited collectors edition boxed set will be announced shortly, these will be on a first come first served basis available exclusively from the official website.
Fields of the Nephilim will be touring internationally throughout 2012 including some very special performances to be announced in the coming months.
CEROMONIES Track listings can be found here
FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM
sign with EMI Label Services
‘CEROMONIES’
Brand new live album / DVD for release in early 2012
EMI Label Services are proud to announce a new partnership with legendary gothic icons Fields Of The Nephilim to release ‘Ceromonies’ their long-awaited live album and DVD. The Europe-wide deal marks the next chapter in the band’s evolution, and heralds a new dawn for their legions of fans around the world.
Fields of the Nephilim formed in 1984 and quickly rose to prominence with singles such as ‘Power’ and ‘Preacher Man’ and their debut album ‘Dawnrazor’ which was released in 1987 on Beggars Banquet. Subsequent albums ‘The Nephilim’ and ‘Elizium’ saw the band develop their trademark sound, a huge multi-layered tapestry of dark, brooding instrumentation crowned with frontman Carl McCoy’s deep mystical incantations.
Hugely influential on a whole generation of industrial, metal and gothic bands, Carl McCoy expanded their musical template with the release of the album ‘Zoon’ in 1996 under the name The Nefilim; an album which set the benchmark for the many black and death metal artists who followed in its wake. Nine years later Fields Of The Nephilim returned with the critically acclaimed album ‘Mourning Sun’, a powerful and complex work that saw them headline festivals across Europe.
In 2008 they played two sold out shows at London’s Shepherds Bush Empire which were filmed and are now being released in early 2012 as ‘Ceromonies’, a double CD live album and breathtaking DVD.
Fields Of The Nephilim make their long-awaited return to the British stage on October 22nd with a sold out concert at London’s Brixton Academy alongside The Mission. Further live shows will be announced for 2012 in support of ‘Ceromonies’.
FIELDS OF THE NEPHILIM
at the Brixton Academy Oct 22nd
This event represents a monumental coming together of two of the most influential bands of the dark music movement and will be a huge celebration of this powerful scene.
Carl McCoy made the following comment:
"It is well known that Fields of the Nephilim are very selective about where and when we perform live. There is always a greater significance underlying our shows. On this occasion we simply felt that the time had come to show that there is unity for all those who support the scene we are involved in. This will be a unique gathering of forces and a very memorable event.
On another level I have a personal connection with this area of London and the venue in particular, and I look forward to returning to Brixton Academy."
Carl McCoy, creator and vocalist of Fields of the Nephilim, was influenced from a very young age by a 'dark culture', aiding his decision to pursue a career in art and music. He embraced the world of the occult and portrayed it through his own apocalyptic fusion of Victorian underworld meets Serge Leone Spaghetti Western. Fields of the Nephilim's emerging brand of aural delights were expressed in genre defining tracks such as 'Trees Come Down', 'Power', 'Preacher Man' and 'Dawnrazor'.
The band continues to affirm their cult status with regular festival headline appearances around the World and sell-out shows in many major cities. Their legacy stretches back over 25 years with the band continuing to evolve their seminal sound and never failing to entrance those that bear witness to their ritual live shows.