Ceremony Shadows employ short lines like mantras on the song “Prey” so that it has almost a hypnotic quality on its own as it sketches the portrait of a social dynamic many if not most of us recognize. The percussive quality of the rhythmic synths accents the song in echoes while the minimal percussion carries the song along in a processional cadence. The words describe how the predators of human society find the cracks in society and take advantage of people who may not already have had to defend themselves from sociopathic types that look for “weakness” in others that are simply normal, human vulnerabilities that make it possible to function in a healthy way. But as we’ve seen in society in dramatic fashion over the past several years and weaponized as movements in the past couple of decades (but really nothing new for people who have been on the receiving end for however far back you’d care to look) something that seems simply a personal problem that you have to “deal with” is a feature of our culture itself. The song seems like a more compassionate take on a way to take oneself out of that dynamic through changing one’s consciousness and not let the poison of the predator personality break you or turn against others. It is a song in essence of solidarity and with its strong beats it’s reminiscent of the more accessible end of Skinny Puppy that fans of Chris & Cosey, Buzz Kull and S. Product may appreciate as well. Listen to “Prey” on Spotify and follow Portland’s Ceremony Shadows at the links provided. The band released its nw album Ascension on March 20, 2025 and available now for streaming and digital download.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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