Argonauta Records

Ockra, Gratitude (Argonauta 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Gothenburg doom folk band Ockra release their debut album, Gratitude.

Ockra formed in Sweden in 2018 and is comprised of members of the stoner doom band Sulphur Dreams. The three wanted to stretch out a bit and explore related musical realms. The music they create floats between heavy and quiet, stoner and folk, pop and perhaps soft jazz. It is an interesting and uncommon combination. The band is Jonas Nyström (drums, percussion, mellotron), Erik Björnlinger (guitar), and Alex Spielhaupter (vocals, bass, mellotron).

“Introspection” is a song that is perfectly titled, and a nice way to ease into the seven-track set. It is short, quiet, and has a steady build toward “Weightless Again.” This guitar-driven song does indeed have a nostalgic tone to it in the rock beginning. The passage that enters next conjures a drifting sense of solitude and peacefulness. The quiet vocals are reassuring, but not because of what they are saying so much as for the way the singing feels in your ears. Toward the end, the framing returns to its initial state, making a big exit. “Tree I Planted” comes next, rolling in on a welcoming bass line. This one leans more in the folk direction, picking up toward the end. “Acceptance” is the heaviest so far, opening with a stern guitar riff and a serious, if not menacing, stance. The early lead guitar break is a sign of things to come. There is a mild-mannered moment but the song finishes heavy and it is a fine way to end side one.

The back triplet begins with “We, Who Didn’t Know,” an extremely quiet piece for half its duration, sounding then like music being played in a distant meadow. The second half is electric and resounding, filled with a depth of production. “Imorgon Här” is a lament, in my ears at least, told at a slow pace and with some trepidation. The final song is “Tage Wie Dieser,” set up in the by-now-familiar format of quiet and slow leading to more active, aggressive music. While there is some structural similarity to these songs, they do not really sound that much alike. Each has its own being, intent, and narrative. If you are in a reflective mood, this album will be most welcome. Recommended.

Gratitude is out on Friday, May 26th through Argonauta Records. You can get more information at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://ockra.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/ockraband/

Argonauta Records, https://www.argonautarecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Ockra, Gratitude (Argonauta 2023)

King Potenaz, Goat Rider (Argonauta 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Doom trio King Potenaz release their debut album on Argonauta Records, Goat Rider.

Formed in Italy in 2019, King Potenaz is a power threesome “dedicated to a mix of raw and fuzzy dirty doom and stoner.” Music to my ears, you might say. A two-song demo came out in 2022, and a couple of singles off the new record saw release prior to the full album. In other words, there hasn’t been much recorded music out there from King Potenaz until now. The band is Francesco Pensato (bass), Giuseppe (guitar, vocals), and Piero Schiavone (drums, synth).

Side one starts with “Among The Ruins” and a massive down stroke to a funeral doom posture. Soon enough, the tempo picks up a touch, and the music rolls along crushing everything before it. The vocals are stern and vital, commanding. The music crescendos toward the end, finally trailing off. “Pyramids Planet” is more of a burbling mystery. Quiet at first, a big guitar riff does come, flattening the view toward the horizon. The vocal message is distorted, like a transmission received across a turbulent galaxy. The song finds many paces, including a gliding groove in its final moments. The title track follows, and it is a rugged road rager that slides into gear and rolls on. There is a delightfully trippy passage in the middle that made me feel like I was in the desert just after sundown and that the ghosts had come to howl. “Pazuzu” sounds like lounge music for a funeral dimension, light and sad as it begins; quiet and dire. Beautiful vocals make this song a stand-out track.

The second half is just as revealing and inspiring as the first. Overall, this album turned out to be heavier than I expected, and that was a very pleasant surprise. “Cosmic Voyager” is a psychedelic fugue – the “Planet Caravan” of the album – while “Moriendoom” is a sort of escorted stroll through subterranean catacombs. “Monolithic” sets a steady, driving beat for most of the song, offering momentum for the final track, the nine-minute beast, “Dancing Plague.” As soon as the song finished, I started the album over again from the beginning. Great record. Highly recommended.

Goat Rider is out on Friday, April 28th through Argonauta Records. Check it out at the links below. The actual album has not popped up on Bandcamp yet (at this writing), but I presume that it will.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://kingpotenaz.bandcamp.com/

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/KingPoyenaz666

Argonauta Records, https://www.argonautarecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

King Potenaz, Goat Rider (Argonauta 2023)

Azken Auzi, Azken Auzi (Argonauta 2023)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

Sludgy doom band Azken Auzi release their self-titled debut.

Stationed in Toulon, France, Azken Auzi is a new band formed by musicians from other metal acts. Deciding they wanted a change of pace, they veered from death metal and noise toward atmospheric doom, frequently touching on funeral doom landscapes. Their new album is a deary delight.

“Disgrace” brings notes of fear to the beginning of the set. Slow and ominous, the lead-in sets up perfectly the gruff howls of despair that follow in the vocals. This is grim stuff, and unrelenting. “Azken Auzi” is up next, and it takes the music down a notch into funeral doom territory. Over the course of the song the tempo does pick up considerably, but the sentiment does not brighten. It is a thunderclap that keeps rolling. “I Hate You” is almost pleasant in comparison. The hopelessness and sorrow saturate the musical palate of this song as well, although here there is a sense of movement, an active sort of despair, you might say. Hate, after all, is actionable.

“Rho Scorpii” offers a sort of emotional parallax because the droning rhythm can set you down the path of darkness but there is also a reassuring known-ness to it as the song progresses. This is the sort of music that could go on for twenty minutes and you would still be hanging in there with it. “K.R.L.H.” is a graveyard dirge; lovely, drowning darkness. The pace turns after a while, and the narrative seems to switch toward a campaign – a path of intention. “Home” is the anchor and the longest track of the set. It has a tentative beginning that is clearly heading toward something else – change is in the air. This song is the most exploratory, and it covers the most ground. At the very end there is a bonus track, which is an alternate version of the title song. I appreciate the dark menace of this music and the dedication of the compositions to their purpose. Recommended.

Azken Auzi is out now through Argonauta Records. Get yours at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://azkenauzi.bandcamp.com/album/azken-auzi

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/azkenauzi

Argonauta Records, https://www.argonautarecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Azken Auzi, Azken Auzi (Argonauta 2023)

Ciminero, Shadows Digging The Grave (Argonauta Records 2022)

Wayne Edwards, , , , , ,

The sophomore album from occult doom metal band Ciminero is out now, Shadows Digging The Grave.

From the northern climes of Finland comes Ciminero. Their debut album, Subterranean Awakening, was favorably received in the occult rock and metal community when it was released in 2019. Having now had a few years together, the principals return with a new record that fulfills the promise of its predecessor. Information about the musicians is thin on the ground here in North America, so I will say band might be Jukka Aravirta (guitar), Valentina Vigato (vocals), Paavo Karppinen (bass), and Waltteri Laamanen (drums).

There are nine cuts on the new record, beginning appropriately with “Invoke Me.” It is an up-tempo rock number that has a nice groove and weighty thump. The first blush of Vigato’s voice is enchanting, and her vocals are accentuated by a nice periodic guitar pairing. A pleasant throwback lead guitar break takes us toward the exit. This is a well-executed opener. “Torment” follows. Operating at a slower pace, the doom facets are clearer here, and the more mystical tone fits more closely to my idea of what occult rock might sound like. It is an excellent song with a deceptively simple structure that draws you in and wraps itself around you.

“Ring of Perpetual Insanity” marks a turn toward a journey on a dark path. The molten guitar riffs form an encasing fabric for the vocals to inhabit, move away from, and ultimately return to. The tempo breaks toward the middle and a sense of quest ensues. I am fully committed at this point – the album is solid musically and its themes and temperament are intoxicating. Other stand-out tracks include “The Leaper,” which is a surging wrecker, and “Nettare d’Estasi,” a song that exudes sorrow, at least in my ears. The album is splendid, and Ciminero is a band to watch in the years to come. Recommended.

Shadows Digging The Grave is out now through Agonauta Records. Help yourself at the links below.

Links.

Bandcamp, https://ciminero.bandcamp.com/album/shadows-digging-the-grave

Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/cimineroband

Argonauta Records, https://www.argonautarecords.com/

© Wayne Edwards

Ciminero, Shadows Digging The Grave (Argonauta Records 2022)