Ceremony w/ Get Rad, Shock Value and Pretty Wounds

Most hardcore bands would rather flame out than grow up, but those that keep going after they've exhausted their initial, youthful muse can often stumble upon great things. That's the case with the Northern California group Ceremony, which began as a purebred hardcore band in the mid-'00s before signing to the respectable indie label Matador, where they released this year's John Goodmanson-produced full-length <i>Zoo</i>. The rage of the band's early work is gone, replaced by '60s garage-rock riffage and moody traces of '80s post-punk, but make no mistake about it, the band still rips: <i>Zoo</i> is one of this spring's most rousing rock 'n' roll albums.