Heavy Psychedelic Act AAWKS To Release EP Luna

Heavy psychedelic trio AAWKS is gearing up to release the new EP Luna on December 8th, 2023, via Black Throne Productions. This immersive offering features a new original song, two dynamic covers and a live version of "All Is Fine" from the Pøølhaüs back in early 2022.

The band comments:

"LUNA - the goddess of the moon (Roman mythology)

Cultures have been obsessed with the mysterious, magnetic wonders of the moon since the dawn of time. We’ve also been fascinated by 'the unexplained' and tried to make meaning of the messages in dreams or weird lights in the night sky. This collection of songs entitled LUNA each represent the aforementioned subjects in some way or another. We may not have the answers but we did our best to paint the feeling and thoughts one may have while walking down a path, alone in the woods at night or maybe waking up from an odd dream that left you questioning 'what did that mean?'

A huge thanks to Black Throne Productions and Z Hollow Studios for all the hard work.

A special thanks goes out to our brother Dan Trickett who added some bass guitar to I Ran and some sweet harmonies to Julia Dream and I Ran."

Introducing the EP, "The Figure" emerges with an eerie soundscape before diving into ludicrously heavy groove bass riffs. This fuzz-fueled track manifests an enticing sense of intrigue with a mysterious edge. Soaring vocal melodies and instrumental arrangements ebb and flow across alternating busy and minimalist plains. Their rendition of A FLOCK OF SEAGULLS' "I Ran" is given a full AAWKS makeover with huge bass tones and airy atmospheres. AWWKS delivers a psych infused ambient interpretation of PINK FLOYD'S "Julia Dream". "All Is Fine" transports you to powerful and heavy experience that is AAWKS live.

About AAWKS:

Hailing from the mysterious foothills of Kempenfelt Bay in Barrie Ontario Canada, AAWKS sludge through the heavy, psych, stoner, doom, fuzz universe in their beat up occult boogie van. Their music is as influenced by newer bands such as MEPHISTOFELES, MONOLORD, WINDHAND and the MELVINS as it is by classic rock bands like BLACK SABBATH, PINK FLOYD and DEEP PURPLE. They explore fantastical themes of the occult and spin tales of mind expansion and spaced out exploration of the multiverse. AAWKS released their debut full length album (((((HEAVY ON THE COSMIC))))) in June of 2022 on Black Throne Productions which landed at #2 on the Doom Charts that month.

AAWKS is:

Kris Dzierzbicki (guitar/vocals)
Roberto Paraíso (guitar)
Randylin Babic (drums)

Tracklisting

1. The Figure

2. I Ran

3. Julia Dream

4. All Is Fine (Live from the Pøølhaüs Feb 2022)

Links:

Website - https://aawks.ca/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/aawksband/
Bandcamp - https://aawks.bandcamp.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/AAWKSBAND
Twitter/X - https://twitter.com/aawks666

Blazoner - Escape To Electric Land (Album Review)

Release Date: November 03rd 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD.

Escape To Electric Land - Tracklisting

1.Electric Land 00:58

2.The Servant 05:19

3.Ghost 03:59

4.Fallout 03:40

5.Onyx Stone 05:22

6.Misfortune 06:40

7.Timeshift 06:31

8.Full Stop 07:11

Members:

Stephen Sullivan – Guitar, Vocals

Brian Carnes – Bass, Vocals

Andy Murray – Drums, Vocals

Review

Doom/Stoner Metallers Blazoner only formed in 2023 and they’ve already released their debut album with the members previously being part of bands such as Post-Metallers ALLUVION and Doom Metallers LORD. Blazoner have an “go in all guns blazing” approach to their music with their catchy and aggressive style of Doom/Stoner Metal that brings moments of Grunge, Noise Rock, Psych Rock and Sludge Metal.

Their debut album Escape To Electric Land is inspired by heavy hitters such as The Melvins, CROWBAR, DOWN, TORCHE and Red Fang. There’s a violent “Doom-Pop” energy within the quieter and psychedelic parts of the record with Blazoner playing a raucous style of heavy CROWBAR meets Melvins riffage. The album shows each member trying to jostle for the coveted “Lead Singer” spot of the band with everyone getting a fair crack of the whip by providing intense Sludge fuelled grunts, hardcore growls and vicious clean sounding vocals.

Blazoner play catchy Sludge/Stoner grooves that has an air of TORCHE creative dominance throughout which allows for a subtle “DOOM POP” element to take over but Blazoner even move into areas of Post-Metal, Prog Rock and Prog Metal with a sideline in Classic Hard Rock and seedy Grunge vibes.

Playing a multitude of different styles could have come at a disadvantage for Blazoner but it’s one of the album's most outstanding aspects with each song having a distinctive quality to each other. One moment you could have a nasty Sludge/NOLA distorted groove before Blazoner playing an intense and sweet natured Doom/Stoner Metal song with scary vocals levelling up the playing field especially within one of the albums standout tracks Ghost. 

Other standout tracks on the album include Fallout, Onyx Stone, Misfortune and Full Stop which is where the most progressive and heavy sounding themes appear on the track with Blazoner creeping into more extreme sludgy sounds whilst maintaining a highly energetic Psychedelic delivery.

Escape To Electric Land is the type of album that allows Blazoner to magnificently march to the beat of their own drum with their music always being wholly original and different throughout. The tone captured on the album is melodic, chaotic and wholly unexpected which is where you can hear and feel The Melvins influence being delivered on all fronts especially on the later stages of the album.

Blazoner’s debut album is a welcome and refreshing change of pace for the band to introduce and make themselves known within the Doom/Sludge/Stoner Metal underground scene. Escape To Electric Land is full of intense thumping bass lines, epic sludgy guitars and bombastic drumming with a swirling Psychedelic Kinetic energy that sees Blazoner deliver a terrific and action packed album that leaves you wanting to hear more.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to C-Squared Music for the promo.

Escape To Electric Land is available to buy on Digital Download from all good stockists now.

Links

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