Sealess - Aura (Album Review)

Release Date: May 28th 2026. Record Label: Electric Witch Mountain Recordings. Formats: DD

Aura - Tracklisting

1.Days of Gone 

2.When the Water Breaks

3.The Last Breath of Winter Glow

4.Interiors

5.In Mortality

6.The Road is Promising 

7.Endless Clouds

Members

Kamil Ziółkowski - Everything

Guests:

Johan Bernhardtson (Maha Sohona) vocals and ending guitar solo in "Days of Gone"

Sandra Rutka: vocals in "The Last Breath of Winter Glow"

Review

Sealess is the latest musical project from Kamil Ziółkowski member of the mighty Spaceslug. Kamil already has a few other projects currently going with Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery and O.D.R.A within his impressive roster of creative outputs. Sealess is more closely linked to his Mountain Of Misery output with this project being influenced by the likes of The Cure, OM, HUM, Yawning Man and Russian Circles though that’s not say there’s some deep cosmic Sludge and Stoner based melodies lurking on this record.

Aura is an intriguing mix of different Psychedelic melodies with THE CURE being the dominant influence with an almost Eighties Alt Rock dynamic being used within the first half of the album. This is offset by areas of Ambient Rock, Electronica, Indie Rock and Space Rock sounds which can be described as musical therapy with that subtle “CHILL OUT” melody being put to great use on the superb opening track of Days Of Gone. This does have some epic movements that remind me of HUM in their most reflective and peaceful moments with The Cure effective way of storytelling pushing the song to its natural conclusion. Kamil is helped on this track by Johan Bernhardtson (Maha Sohona) who provides vocals and the ending guitar solo.

Second song When The Water Breaks shows that Kamil has a deep love and affection for the Eighties Electronic and Indie Rock scene with a stylish New Order and The Cure electronic sound pushing the song into surreal dreamlike musical soundscapes. The whole atmosphere is best described as “POST CHILLOUT” music for the Stoner Rock generation with a song that reminds me of the classic The Cure song “BURN” in many ways. You can still feel the “SPACESLUG” creative energy buried within the DNA of the whole SEALESS project. The record itself is quite grounded with Kamil using the “aquatic” themes to full effect. The instrumental sounds are deeply engaging and beautifully emotional.

If you ever wondered how The Cure would sound like if they moved into the Desert Rock / Post Rock movement then Sealess is the perfect answer to that question with Kamil creating haunting musical passages that can be described as “PURE CINEMA” especially when the soundtrack themes of the superb third track The Last Breath Of Winter Glow.

This track can be quite claustrophobic and solitary at times but the hidden depth of Post-Stoner, Alt-Rock and Doomed Out structures make this my favourite track on the whole album. This is one of the best musical tracks I’ve heard from Kamil outside of the SPACESLUG environment and he’s superbly helped by the excellent vocals from Sandra Rutka that adds a brilliant style of Eighties Alt Rock attitude into the mix.

The next two tracks on the album Interiors and In Morality feel like they could easily be part of the Mountains of Misery project. These tracks contain similar themes and motifs but with Kamil adding that emotionally charged style of Eighties Alt Rock soundscapes and intricate sludgy musical solos along the way.

There’s a small commercial “ROCK / POP”  aspect that shows from time to time which was all the range back in the Eighties. However, that takes nothing away from Aura as Sealess becomes more Post-Rock and Space Rock obsessive in the best possible way. There’s also a sense of Post-Doom delivery appearing within the lyrics and how Kamil delivers some of the vocals for the remainder of the album.

The final two tracks The Road Is Promising and Endless Clouds become part of a heavier progressive journey whilst keeping quite closely with the core creative sounds first heard within the first half of the record. Ambient grooves transform into heavier strands of Psych, Post-Rock and Alt Rock which ends the album on a highly satisfactory and emotionally charged conclusion.

Aura is another great record from Kamil and I so want to hear more from this outstanding project known as SEALESS in the very near future. That maybe some time though, as after speaking to Kamil recently, he’s busy with other things and he’s earned that right to take time with whatever musical project he releases next. 

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to SEALESS for the promo..

Aura  is available to buy now on Digital Download via Electric Witch Mountain Recordings.

Links 

Facebook | BandCamp

Various Artists - Deep Seven Vol I (Album Review)

Release Date: December 06th 2024. Record Label: Electric Witch Mountain Recordongs. Formats: CD/DD/Vinyl

DEEP SEVEN Vol I - Track Listing:

1.PALM DESERT Elegy Of The Past 09:22

2.MOUNTAIN OF MISERY Hollow Water 05:36

3.SOLAR TRIP Blueshift 06:18

4.SPACESLUG Lost In The Tide 07:36

5.GOZD Disguise The Emptiness 06:22

6.O.D.R.A Breslau Babilon 05:15

7.SEALESS Fading Away 04:30

Review

Deep Seven Vol I is a compilation album featuring perhaps the best bands from the Polish Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scenes with heavyweights such as Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery, Solar Trip. Spaceslug, GOZD, O.D.R.A and Sealess all perform tracks of new material that explores the whole underground scene that Poland has given to the world over the last decade or so.

The album is a stunning collection of outstanding tracks with heavy Psychedelic passages high on the agenda and subversive Sludgy grooves that have a thrilling dynamic to them with Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery and Spaceslug being personal favourite bands of mine. Though, I have to say the tracks that impressed me the most were from Solar Trip, GOZD and Sealess which was a very cool surprise. I've only heard these bands in passing but their songs were technically impressive throughout with stunning musical melodies that have an air of classic Doom and Stoner passages to them.

We all know what Palm Desert, Mountain Of Misery and Spaceslug are capable of with their trademark heavy cosmic sounds which is no different here. Palm Desert offers a dreamlike Post-Rock sound with Elegy Of The Past  that’s topped off with a muscular Post-Sludge atmosphere with a trippy Shoegaze aspect to the track. 

Mountain Of Misery’s track Hollow Water could have easily come off their acclaimed two albums In Roundness and The Land. This has a classic KYUSS and FU MANCHU based structure at times where the world of Desert Rock is given a Sludge Rock makeover. The levels of FUZZ is quite intense with the vocals being more Gloom based in places. The instrumental sounds have a rich level of detail within the Progressive flow that Mountain Of Misery delivers on the later stages of the track.

Solar Trip’s track Blueshift has a desolate Space Rock tone with minimal Electronic and Synth effects that expands into a heavier Desert/Stoner Rock tone. The long drawn out Droned textures is a cool deft touch before Solar Trip delivers a swirling vortex of Post-Rock and Post-Stoner energy which builds upto a classic style of subtle instrumental freakout passages and clever guitar solos that leave you wanting to hear more.

The next track Lost In The Tide from the mighty Spaceslug is perhaps the main draw for most people and you can’t blame them. As the band are once again delivering beautifully played and wonderfully constructed Cosmic Doom sounds that offer a monolithic sound that most bands cannot reach. The ethereal vocals are represented here with Spaceslug playing a more emotionally charged and abstract style of music with a rich Progressive Sludge Rock sound becoming quite intense along the way. 

The final part of the album features music from bands I’ve haven’t had much experience with as mentioned previously but I have to give GOZD, O.D.R.A and Sealess credit for impressing me with their individual offerings. As they offer their own highly original style of music that ventures further into Space Rock and Post-Doom territory with deep levels of Ambient surroundings especially with GOZD’s stunning track Disguise The Emptiness.

O.D.R.A is more of a full on Doom/Sludge Metal number with moments of Industrial paranoia within their excellent track Breslau Babilon. I can hear influences from acts such as AUTHOR & PUNISHER at times within this track with a familiar sludgy undergroove once again providing a different creative narrative that Deep Seven Vol I continuously provides.

The final track Fading Away from Sealess is more of a sullen Post-Rock and Post-Grunge entity and is the most quiet and restrictive offerings which allows Deep Seven Vol I to close the album with a confident Ambient delivery and heartwarming vocals that once again has a different contrast to the other tracks on the album.

Deep Seven Vol I is a record showcasing the finest talents from the Polish Doom, Sludge and Stoner Metal scene. I would have loved some other big hitters from the Polish underground scene to be involved such as DOPELORD or SUNNATA but maybe that could happen with future volumes of the series. However, as the recent Elephant Tree and Lowrider compilation album proved, compilation albums done right can be considered as Album Of The Year material and you can rank Deep Seven Vol I as one of those great albums deserving of that accolade.

Words by Steve Howe

Deep Seven Vol I is available to buy now on CD/DD/Vinyl via Electric Witch Mountain Recordings.

Links

BandCamp