Akasava: Strange Aeons EP

"Join the Ritual" begins with a few rhythmic pulses from a cymbal, but those simple beats aren't merely a preliminary count for the music. Instead, they function more like a bell signaling meditation time. But things aren't going to be quiet. Instead, the pulse is followed by a descending melodic pattern produced by the organ. There isn't much more to this short track, but that's OK. It's a call to "Join the Ritual" so pay attention!

The bulk of this EP (save for the closing track, on which more later) is made up of heavy and groovy 70s-style psychedelic rock. There are a few elements of doom metal here and there, but the band is careful not to stray too far from the pulse and sway of psychedelia. The results are solid. "The Deep" has a heavy, blistering, riff that I enjoyed. The lyrics also make mention of the "Crawling Chaos," one of the names of Lovecraft's infamous creation Nyarlathotep. But this song is not meant to invoke that awful creature. Instead, it's a heavy rock romp—and a good one. As good as "The Deep" was, I enjoyed the next two tracks, "Sons of Bastet" and "The Witch is Rising," even more. "Black and White Lady" rounds things out effectively as well. Fans of old-school occult rock should enjoy this one.

Like the opening track, the closing track ("And Die!") is mostly just a short organ solo. It begins by returning to the three-note descending line from "Join the Ritual" and develops it for about one minute. I thought it was terrific. Like the opening track, "And Die!" is little more than a burst of music, but it signals the end of this musical ritual in a memorable way. It also gives this short EP an interesting overall frame. Normally, I'd complain that tracks like this have little purpose, but these tracks gave things an overall mood and theme that otherwise would not have been there.

This EP only has 14 minutes of music, but it is certainly worth checking out.

Track Listing:
1. Join the Ritual
2. The Deep
3. Sons of Bastet
4. The Witch is Rising
5. Black and White Lady
6. And Die!

Added: June 2nd 2015
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 2267
Language: english

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