Review: AAWKS ‘On Through The Sky Maze’

With a huge bell ringing in the background, feedback buzzes around your ears as the opening monologue fades in and out before the wall of eerie and mysterious sounding doom hits you like a tidal wave. The nightmarish vocal screams are eventually replaced by more controlled singing from Kris Dzierzbicki, as the psychedelic soundscapes evolve in a whirling motion.

And that’s just for the opening few minutes! It’s a mighty impressive start from Canadian rockers AAWKS, who delve deep into the mystical world of the occult and have cultivated a sound that incorporates heavy psych, stoner, doom and fuzzed out rock. Their latest album, On Through The Sky Maze, delivers nine tracks begining with Celestial Magick as they explore, in their own words, ‘the conjuring of spirits and demonology’.

This is followed by Death Trip which sees more haunting music and heavy riffs. I love the hefty bass line from Ryan ‘Grime Pup’ Mailman throughout this as he contributes real depth, and those few solitary guitar picks adds to the mysterious nature of the song. Lost Dwellers has a thunderous opening with the drums from Randy Babic exploding out of the speakers, setting a catchy rhythm for the guitar to follow. You can sense the energy levels rise on this one, with that raw bass sound pulling through once again. It’s all a bit gritty, with elements of psych-rock permeating through the composition.

The band comments that the album has ‘a narrative rich in dark imagery and introspective exploration’ and with a few hits on the hi-hat, Caerdonia has that Sabbath-esque riff quality. Yet, they seem to want to take it down a darker and more sinister avenue, leading you into their unearthly world, but you are hit with a supreme rhythm from guitarists Dzierzbicki and Roberto Paraiso, that is simply divine and will have you smiling from ear to ear. This song is pure class, evil personified, but catchy as hell.

it is tinged with the evil intent of a serial killer following and watching your every move…

The heavier bass sound introduces The Figure which has a notable contribution from Ian Ross, who lights it up with some cracking solos on this psychedelic creation. The song ebbs and flows allowing the vocal range of Dzierzbicki freedom to roam. Wandering Supergiants is up next with a full-on scream to entice you in before the rhythm takes over. The solos are controlled but add to the mystical vibe that the album gives off, and it’s all part of the journey that the quartet from Ontario invite you to join them on.

Drifting Upward sees a different musical layer added, with a Hammond organ introduced, played by Dan Trickett. It’s another fantastic song, which has such warmth and depth, almost as if trapped in a 1970s LSD induced trip. Yet, it is tinged with the evil intent of a serial killer following and watching your every move. The contrast they’ve created is quite something to listen to and is hugely enjoyable.

Bursting out of nowhere is Cursed Soul, another song that encapsulates where the band are currently at musically and lyrically, with their boundless energy and groove ladened, heavy ass riffs. It ends with Sky Maze as Ian Ross makes another appearance, and it has a more raucous energy surrounding it, that adds to the mystique of the band. They’ve explored new depths with this album, and it’s an intoxicating listen, in the most dark and sinister of ways.

Label: Black Throne Productions
Band Links: Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Instagram

Scribed by: Matthew Williams