Release Date: May 02nd 2025. Record Label: Black Throne Productions. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl
On Through The Sky Maze - Tracklisting
1.Celestial Magick
2.Death Trip
3.Lost Dwellers
4.Caerdroia
5.The Figure
6.Wandering Supergiants
7.Drifting Upward
8.Cursed Soul
9.Sky Maze
Members:
Kris Dzierzbicki - Vocals/Guitar/Synth
Randylin Babic - Drums
Paraiso - Guitar/Violin/Synth
Ryan “GrimePup” Mailman -Bass/Vocals
Review
On Through The Sky Maze is the second full length album from Psych/Doom/Stoner Metallers AAWKS where they blend dark tales of the Occult that’s merged with Psychedelic and Spaced Out folklore. This is an intriguing and quite original concept of how AAWKS have approached the album with. At one moment the album is a full on Occult Doom record and the next it’s a trippy Space Rock adventure with AAWKS taking influence from the likes of Black Sabbath, Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, Electric Wizard and FU MANCHU whilst keeping to their own creative narrative.
The sludgy guitars are powered by a dirty and seedy avalanche of FUZZED UP guitars which has a slight Swamp Rock attitude. Vocals switch between SHAMANIC CHANTS and SATANIC GROWLS with a heavy emphasis on both clean vocals and distorted growls courtesy of Kris Dzierzbicki and Ryan “Grimepup” Mailman.
WIth a non-stop style of distorted Doom/Stoner Metal paranoia running amok through the album with AAWKS thriving upon their heavy distorted loops, spectacular amounts of reverb and amplifier feedback that adds a unhealthy level of SONIC aggression into the whole VOLUME department of the record. The songs themselves all have their own exciting story to tell with dark tales of the night and the far reaches of the COSMOS which is brought very early on tracks such as: Celestial Magick, Death Trip and Lost Dwellers.
AAWKS undergo a sudden shift into Psychedelic and Space Rock tendencies on the excellent second track Second Trip with the opening track of Celestial Magick having a classic ELECTRIC WIZARD vibe.
Things get ever more serious and creepy with the great use of classic soundbytes on the stunning fourth track of Caerdroia which opens with a brilliant vocal clip which sets an unexpected scary tone for this track alone. The music is mostly Proto-Doom with AAWKS surrounding themselves with harsh Fuzz, Sludge and Stoner Rock passages. The lyrics are quite subversive with AAWKS fully selling their full-on hybrid OCCULT/SPACE ROCK musical odyssey.
AAWKS are at their absolute best when they embrace the heavier, primal and psychedelic tendencies of the record as that’s where the heaviest and unexpected violent melodies appear. The vocals can be disgustingly filthy but delivered with real purpose. The album becomes ever more creepy, disturbing and dare I say self obsessed which I mean as a huge compliment.
Other standout tracks include: The Figure, Wandering Supergiants, Cursed Soul and my absolute favourite track Sky Maze.
This part of the album is where AAWKS explore Psychedelic Myths and technical methodology or should I say riffology which feels inspired by Mastodon at times mostly on the standout final track Sky Maze. This track alone makes the album worth the purchase alone. There’s some thrilling “INTERDIMENSIONAL SPACE GOAT” territory on the final parts of the record.
On Through The Sky Maze is an absolute crushing record that’s full of epic sounding grooves throughout that allows this record to quite an original album on its own merits and stand out as one of the definitive Doom/Stoner Metal records to be released this year.
This is most definitely ALBUM OF THE YEAR material. No Question.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to C Squared Music for the promo.
On Through The Sky Maze is available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Black Throne Productions.
Links
Official Website: https://www.aawks.ca/
Bandcamp: https://aawks.bandcamp.com/
E-Shop: https://blackthroneproductions.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AAWKSBAND
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aawksband/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/aawks666?t=
