Exclusive Album Premiere Of Psych/Doom/Stoner Rockers MAW New Album THE HUMBLE COLLAPSE

Cracow, Poland – Emerging from the heart of Cracow’s vibrant music scene in 2019, MAW is a powerhouse Polish band blending the raw energy of the '90s Palm Desert scene with their own unique sonic footprint. Originally born from impassioned jam sessions full of loud, heavy riffs, the band quickly evolved, crafting songs that have resonated with audiences across Poland and beyond.

In late summer 2019, MAW embarked on a creative journey to record their debut tracks at the acclaimed Vintage Record Studio in Poznań. Over an intense three-day session in November, six tracks were laid down, capturing the essence of the band’s dynamic sound. However, plans for the release and promotion of their debut album were delayed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges, MAW persevered, and their self-titled debut album finally saw the light of day in January 2021, over a year after its recording.

The pandemic also brought a lineup change, with drummer Michal Gawronski departing in summer 2020. Stepping into the fold was Szymon Piotrowski, whose arrival infused the band with fresh energy. Together, the revitalized lineup recorded and released the ‘Citizens of Dunes’ single and music video, marking a bold new chapter for MAW.

While rooted in stoner rock, MAW’s sound transcends genre boundaries. Drawing inspiration from Tool and Pink Floyd, their compositions begin with riffs, chord progressions, or short licks contributed by band members. These ideas are then transformed through collaborative jam sessions and spirited discussions, resulting in tracks that are unmistakably their own. Listeners can detect echoes of Colour Haze, Causa Sui, Down, Alabama Thunderpussy, and Sleep, but above all, they’ll hear the distinctive voice of MAW.

With a commitment to authenticity and a passion for powerful, evocative music, MAW invites fans of heavy, textured soundscapes to experience their journey firsthand. Stay tuned for more releases, live performances, and the unrelenting drive of this rising Polish rock sensation.

You can hear their spellbinding and superbly heavy new album below with this exclusive album premiere thanks to great folks over at Grand Sounds Promotion and Argonauta Records.

The Humble Collapse will be available to buy on CD/DD via Argonauta Records from Friday 10th January 2025.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp

Maw - The Humble Collapse (Album Review)

Release Date: January 10th 2025. Record Label: Argonauta Records. Formats: CD/DD

The Humble Collapse  - Track Listing:

01. TheH

02. Black Box

03. Nuisance Grounds

04. Umb

05. Red Sea

06. LeCo

07. Never Satisfied

08. Llap

09. Still

10. Se

11. Citizens of Dunes

Members

Martyna Hebda / Guitar

Kuba Stępień / Guitar

Jacek Niewiadomski / Vocals and lyrics

Piotr Stępień / Bass Guitar

Szymon Piotrowski / Drums

Review

The Humble Collapse is the second full length album from Polish Desert/Stoner Rockers Maw who also deal in Post-Rock and Cosmic surroundings within this record. The sound is quite vibrant, progressive and sonic inducing at times with Maw superbly tapping into the Desert Rock surroundings of bands such as Causa Sui, Colour Haze and Yawning Man at times for the quieter parts of the record. However, that only tells a brief part of the story with Maw throwing their full creative weight behind a ton of HEAVY AMPLIFIER and DOOMED OUT sounds that reminds me of SLEEP, Shrinebuilder and Baroness at times.

There’s a thrilling abundance of different styles of music such as Punk Rock, Sludge Rock, NOLA and Psych Rock appearing with a menacing claustrophobic sound which elevates the whole album to quite an experimental platform especially with the vocals and progressive guitar interplays that come through superbly well on the opening tracks of TheH, Black Box and Nuisance Grounds.

Maw seem to thrive when they bring their own style of melodic and DIY based sound which has a certain Rise Above Records, Relapse Records and Ripple Music vibe if you’re a dedicated follower of the underground scene. This time round Argonauta Records is releasing this great album and it’s the perfect fit with the bands wickedly subversive sludgy Post-Whatever style that comes on leaps and bounds on the other tracks of the record such as Red Sea, Never Satisfied and Citizens Of Dune.

Maw aren’t afraid to tactically transform into a heavier Metallic sound with multiple beat-downs, breakdowns and explorations into heavier SONIC and COSMIC territory. There are moments that remind me of classic SHOEGAZE and multi-layered passages which bring a remorseful melodic sound that still retains an unforgiving Post-Doom energy which appears in the shorter tracks which perhaps allows Maw to be more dominant and OTT with their music.

Everything works so amazingly well with the lyrical content and vocals being quite distant which allows Maw to establish themselves a totally different band from the Polish underground Stoner Rock/Metal scene. The music is always engaging and quite unique with how Maw moves from one area of music to the next with that Progressive wave perhaps influenced by Science Fiction and fantasy themes such as DUNE in environments of the record. 

There’s even a certain Industrial/Electronic charm that Maw employs here which makes The Humble Collapse quite a breathtaking trip which took me back to me riff-worshipping early-era Genghis Tron especially on the brilliantly weird sixth track LeCo.

The Humble Collapse is a complicated record to fully break down with Maw expanding their creative mindset across a whole range of different musical sounds and themes which still reward the listener with an epic array of instrumental passages and experimental grooves to transform their mindset with.

This record is quite fearless with its brilliantly fearless and superbly inventive attitude that should allow Maw to achieve greater recognition within the underground scene. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Grand Sounds Promotion for the promo.

The Humble Collapse will be available to buy on CD/DD via Argonauta Records from Friday 10th January 2025.

Links

Facebook | BandCamp