Sad thing is, Blood Ceremony has an abundant amount of unique characteristics. As I said, Alia O'Brien is, of course, a female vocalist, and there are foreign instruments which conjure an image of a black mass after the original Woodstock. With that being said, it quickly becomes the duty of the listener to expect the unexpected, and that's precisely what Blood Ceremony followers get: flute solos occur more than guitar solos, O' Brien's distinct voice vibrates a gloomy chord of despair and magic, and so on. It's not that these norms are bad in nature, but Blood Ceremony fails to justify them; it all becomes very bland and apathetic. Not to mention the unusual instruments often feel misplaced, and some of the obtuse melodies are almost too goofy to take seriously.

The album starts in tame fashion with "The Great God Pan," a rocking Sabbath-inspired doom cut which sets the tone for "Living with the Ancients." Nice, fun and catchy, but really the only highlight of the record besides "Coven Tree," an authentic slice of Blood Ceremony honestly believing they are from the 1960s. Most of the remaining record carries on, minus anything to hook the listener, and Blood Ceremony's obvious woes move onwards while carelessly plodding through dull, overlong numbers like "Oliver Haddo" and "Night of Augery." The closing "Daughter of the Sun" has a few moments of brilliance, but two-thirds of the listening experience is completely forgettable overall.