2000s Rock Band Announces First Album in Seven Years
California punk rock veterans Ceremony have announced their first studio album in seven years. The band revealed that its seventh full-length record, Tell Me Your Dream, will arrive on Aug. 7 through Relapse Records.
Alongside the album announcement, Ceremony released a new single titled "Death Destruction Mayhem," giving fans another look at the band's latest musical direction ahead of the record's release.
The upcoming album follows 2019's In the Spirit World Now and marks a major return for the group, which has spent more than two decades evolving its sound while remaining one of punk's most distinctive acts.
Ceremony's current lineup features Ross Farrar, Anthony Anzaldo, Andy Nelson, Justin Davis and Jake Casarotti.
Ceremony Returns With First New Album Since 2019
According to the band, Tell Me Your Dream is the culmination of 21 years of making music together. The 10-track collection blends elements of hardcore punk and post-punk while drawing inspiration from influential anarcho-punk groups such as Discharge and Crass.
The album includes the previously released song "Other Hells" and the newly unveiled "Death Destruction Mayhem," which has been described as an anthemic post-punk track.
According to Chaoszine, vocalist Ross Farrar shared the inspiration behind the album's title and message:
"Tell me your dream in a time when intimacy and vulnerability seem neglected. Tell me your dream when reciprocity has become a contract. Tell me your dream when they ask, ‘What do you do?' Something untrained by the mind that sparks inspiration."
The band also addressed the themes explored throughout the record.
"We're living in an era of mass uncertainty," Farrar said. "In punk, I don't see how you can't respond. It's taken over our lives in so many different ways - economically, politically, spiritually. We want people to wake up and get into what's happening."
Guitarist Andy Nelson pointed to the song "Madness" as an example of the album's direct approach.
"Why aren't punk bands actually saying the word ‘Palestine' on their records?" Nelson said. "We didn't want to make anything that felt light, or empty, or apolitical. Our intent is to not waste anyone's time, and to encourage people to think about what they settle for."
New Album Reunites Ceremony With Producer John Reis
For Tell Me Your Dream, Ceremony reunited with producer John Reis, who previously worked with the band on its acclaimed 2015 album The L-Shaped Man.
Anthony Anzaldo explained the importance of bringing Reis back into the studio.
"John sort of joined the band on this one," says guitarist-keyboardist Anzaldo. "We could not respect him more as a guitarist, as a singer, as a songwriter. He understands what it's like to be in every position. So we really gave him the keys."
The album also reflects the long-standing bond between the members, whose history stretches back to childhood friendships.
"We're bound together like family," says Anzaldo. "Our relationships are beyond the band. CEREMONY is going to live no matter what. We've shifted into this dynamic where the choice isn't ours anymore."
The record contains 10 songs:
- Prograde
- Other Hells
- Madness
- Dark Summer
- Deep Down Where I Belong
- Antenna
- Justify
- Death Destruction Mayhem
- 10 Planets
- Paradise
Following the album release, Ceremony will launch a North American tour beginning Sept. 9 in Montreal. The run includes stops in Toronto, Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Austin, San Francisco, Los Angeles and several other cities through November.
The tour announcement comes after the band played back-to-back weekends at Coachella earlier this year.
Since forming in Rohnert Park, California, in 2005, Ceremony has built a reputation for constantly reinventing its sound. Across six studio albums, the group has explored hardcore punk, garage rock, post-punk, indie rock and new wave influences.
With Tell Me Your Dream, the band appears ready to continue that evolution while reconnecting with the intensity that first established its reputation in punk music.
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This story was originally published June 19, 2026 at 6:27 AM.