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Zoo

Ceremony

Zoo

Fourth album of hardcore punk from this Californian quintet

ADM rating[?]

6.7

Label
Matador
UK Release date
05/03/2012
US Release date
06/03/2012
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  1. 8.5 |   The Quietus

    While the spirit of hardcore still grasps like a stubborn parasite, Zoo embraces the evolution of punk and all its elusive subcategories
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  2. 8.0 |   Spin

    Zoo proves that even hardcore bands can mature gracefully
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  3. 8.0 |   The Fly

    At times its punk’s so dumb it’s like having it spat in your eyes by a deadpan simpleton
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  4. 8.0 |   Consequence Of Sound

    In just two years, Ceremony has leaped aggressively forward in its evolution, and Zoo captures this over 12 tracks that reconfigure the group into something unique and vital
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  5. 8.0 |   NME

    Adds a dash of post-punk to the band's tight-drilled grind
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  6. 7.8 |   Beats Per Minute

    A well-produced record that captures a band on its way up the ladder
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  7. 7.5 |   A.V. Club

    Hardcore bands rarely age gracefully, but Ceremony’s found a way to accentuate its broadest influences without losing touch with its younger, rowdier days
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  8. 7.0 |   Rolling Stone

    Recalling the post-punk of Joy Division, the Fall and Wire – if those bands had spent more time in weight rooms than art galleries
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  9. 7.0 |   Q

    Sees them tacking between Black Flag/Dead Kennedys, The Cramps and the dark minimalism of PiL and Gang Of Four. Print edition only

  10. 7.0 |   The Line Of Best Fit

    The music is certainly a lot more nuanced and accessible; which makes listening to Zoo an entertaining and engaging, rather than depressing, experience
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  11. 7.0 |   Rave Magazine

    Each track on Zoo brings something new to the record, and it’s a treat to be able to follow along as the band tries something different, even if you can’t slam dance to it
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  12. 7.0 |   BBC

    There is a compelling darkness in some of these songs that serves up more than just a minor threat
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  13. 7.0 |   Prefix

    Missteps and all, Ceremony still remain one of the bravest bands in the world of punk and hardcore today, even if it seems like their interest in being associated with such genres decreases with each passing day
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  14. 5.4 |   Pitchfork

    There's not much on Zoo that you won't find on dozens of garage-rock albums released by smaller labels this year
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  15. 5.0 |   PopMatters

    Zoo fulfills a hunger while offering only the bare minimum of flavor
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  16. 5.0 |   AU Review

    While the tempo may shift on simmering numbers like ‘Hotel’ and ‘Video’, the overall effect is one of tracks blurring together indistinctly; the noise becoming ever-more-wearying the longer it goes on
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  17. 4.0 |   No Ripcord

    More bland than offensive
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  18. 4.0 |   The Skinny

    The urgent and aggressive delivery that they did so well as recently as 2010's Rohnert Park is virtually nowhere else to be heard
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  19. Back to main chart

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Ceremony: Zoo

  • Download full album for just £8.49
  • 1. Hysteria £0.89
  • 2. Citizen £0.89
  • 3. Repeating the Circle £0.89
  • 4. World Blue £0.89
  • 5. Quarantine £0.89
  • 6. Brace Yourself £0.89
  • 7. Adult £0.89
  • 8. Hotel £0.89
  • 9. Ordinary People £0.89
  • 10. Nosebleed £0.89
  • 11. Community Service £0.89
  • 12. Video £0.89
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