Exclusive Album Premiere Of Drone/Doom Metallers CARNWENNAN Debut Album LOTUS

Albany, New York-based sludge/drone metal quartet CARNWENNAN presents their debut LP, Lotus, through Darkest Records.

You can listen to the spellbinding and brilliantly heavy new album below with this exclusive album premiere thanks to the good folks at Earsplit PR.

Vocalist/Guitarist Jack Jackal says this about Lotus: 

"We've been working on this for three years now, and Friday we'll finally be able to show everyone the extent of our labors. Thanks to everyone for the support so far, and we hope you like it.”

Darkest Records will release Lotus on LP and digital formats this Friday, May 31st. Preorders can be placed at Bandcamp HERE. Also watch the mesmerizing video for “III” HERE. Fans of Earth, Khanate, Hush, Om, Bell Witch, Primitive Man, Conan, and Old Man Gloom must hear CARNWENNAN’s Lotus.

The Lowdown

CARNWENNAN’s Lotus plays as one continuous track subdivided into four movements, the album created with great restraint and tension, resulting in a slow-motion, seamless evolution. The wooded environment of the band’s upstate surroundings indisputably influenced the lush, organic sounds of growth and decay, life and demise, themes which are exemplified in the lyrical and visual delivery of the album.

Recorded outside of Hudson, New York by Ryan Slowey at the headquarters of Darkest Records – the label formed by members of fellow Hudson Valley sludge stalwarts Hush – Lotus was mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege (Locrian, Iron Monkey, Mournful Congregation).

CARNWENNAN’s bassist, Alex Waters, is an acclaimed painter and created the album's cover art. Vocalist/guitarist, Jack Jackal, also does design work for many underground artists and curates Castle Jackal Magazine, contributed artwork to the album layout. Amps and pedals used on the album were conceived and built by lead guitarist Alexandria Ashpond. Since recording the album, the band’s original drummer James Leshkevich has left and been replaced by former drummer of The Acacia Strain, Kevin Boutot.

CARNWENNAN is booking shows throughout the Northeast surrounding the release of Lotus, with more widespread touring in the works for later in the year. See all currently confirmed shows below and watch for updates to post throughout the coming months.

CARNWENNAN Live:

6/01/2024 Empire Underground – Albany, NY w/ Intrusive, Misery Machine
6/08/2024 No Fun – Troy, NY w/ Horse Grave, Flatwounds, King Mob
6/09/2024 Collar City Mushrooms – Troy, NY w/ Radiation Blackbody, Compress

Links

https://carnwennan.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/carnwennan.ny
https://twitter.com/CARNWENNAN_ny
https://darkestrecords.bandcamp.com
https://www.instagram.com/darkestrecords
https://www.facebook.com/darkestrecords

Thanks to Earsplit PR for all of the info

CARNWENNAN - Lotus (Album Review)

Release Date: June 01st 2024. Record Label: Darkest Records. Formats: DD/Vinyl

Lotus: Tracklisting

1.I

2.II

3.III 

4.IV

Band Members

Alexandria Ashpond - lead guitar

Alex Waters - bass

Jack Jackal - guitar, vocals

James Leshkevich - drums

Review

CARNWENNAN are a Sludge/Doom/Drone/Stoner Metal quartet from Albany, New York who are inspired by bands such as EARTH, SUNN0))), CONAN, SLEEP and OM whilst creating and conforming to their original ideas with their superbly heavy and highly original debut album Lotus. The album offers a disturbing and down-tuned style of Drone Metal which is made more powerful by the Sludge/Stoner Metal tones and kinetic Psychedelic energy that comes from the Doom Metal aspects of the whole album.

Lotus is part of the LOW & SLOW environment with CARNWENNAN playing the more Drone centric style of extended instrumental sounds than the usual standard guitar based grooves though the band do include small amounts of those types of grooves on different parts of the album. The vocals from lead vocalist Jack are loud, abrasive and aggressive which come into full force within the epic opening track I. 

Lotus is one epic forty minute track broken down into individual chapters where the band explore the different sides of the Droned Out environment which populates the creative landscape throughout the whole album. There are uplifting hypnotic states of blissful Stoner Metal jams with a surreal landscape appearing that draws from iconic bands such as SLEEP and OM. 

The album can be quite unforgiving when the extreme elements of music appear which pushes the Psychedelic/Ambient textures further into the background and a violent experimental sound fully takes control which allows CARNWENNAN to become quite frankly unstoppable with their layers of distorted climb to even greater violent heights of nightmarish volumes.

CARNWENNAN have a great ability to play a soothing Psychedelic based instrumental jam that lets the more uplifting guitar riff-centric style of music to become more dominant which happens on the outstanding second track II. The track is still heavy but it’s best described as Meditative Drone Metal though Jack’s harsh vocals keep the band firmly within the “DOES THIS DOOM” camp with great reason.

The final two tracks of III and IV sees CARNWENNAN adopt a subversive style of Progressive and Experimental creative energy with Ambient sounds and Psychedelic glitches combining for a slightly surreal Spaced Out sound which is perhaps some of my favourite parts of the album. CARNWENNAN know when to switch back to their more threatening Drone/Doom Metal sound which leads into the some of the heaviest parts of the album which come into full effect on the final epic track IV which lasts for a mind-expanding sixteen minutes or so.

Lotus is a beautifully heavy and wholly destructive release which goes across many layers of the Drone/Doom Metal spectrum which will also appeal to fans of the Sludge/Stoner Metal underground scene as well. The album is superbly produced and allows CARNWENNAN to play to their maximum technical abilities which produces first rate musical passages throughout the entire album.

This is an awe-inspiring and jaw-dropping record that could possibly become one of the best Drone Metal albums of the year. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Earsplit PR for the promo.

Lotus will be available to buy on DD/Vinyl via Darkest Records from Friday 31st May 2024.

Links

BandCamp | Instagram | Twitter