Alunah - Violet Hour

By Matt Hinch. Let's get some formalities out of the way. Since Alunah's last full-length the band has seen some significant turnover. After Solennial, vocalist Sophie Day left to pursue other endeavours. Guitarist David Day stayed for Amber and Gold, the EP that introduced us to new vocalist Siân Greenaway.

By Matt Hinch.

Artwork by Felipe Froeder/Arcano XV.

Let's get some formalities out of the way. Since Alunah's last full-length the band has seen some significant turnover. After Solennial, vocalist Sophie Day left to pursue other endeavours. Guitarist David Day stayed for Amber and Gold, the EP that introduced us to new vocalist Siân Greenaway. However, new LP Violet Hour finds the guitarist spot now occupied by Diamond Head bassist Dean Ashton. The rhythmic backbone has stayed intact in drummer Jake Mason and bassist Daniel Burchmore. As such, despite a 50% turnover the band still sounds like the Alunah I know and love yet the evolution of their sound leaves no doubt the players are different

I tried to keep the compare and contrast to a minimum while both listening and writing but I couldn't shake it entirely. No one would mistake one vocalist for the other but both work for the material. Live performances have shown that Greenaway doesn't sound out of place handling older material and on Violet Hour she definitely takes the vocals as her own. The version of Alunah that evolved up to what we heard on Solennial felt slower overall as well as more doomed and earthy, suiting Sophie's delivery perfectly. Violet Hour immediately has a different edge on opener "Trapped and Bound". Harder, edgier, with a different force behind it compared to the softer, hazy, more natural feel of old. There seems to be a shift in tone towards "hard rock with doom" rather than "doom with hard rock". It's not really a drastic change but it's powered by different elements. There's a swagger and a more rollicking feel at times.

As the album progresses it settles into darker places. By the time we get to "Hunt" familiar feelings start to come forth. The darkness of "Dance of Deceit" bleeds into the "classic" plodding riff that headlines "Hunt". It feels decidedly like traditional doom bringing to mind Trouble, or even Candlemass.

"Hypnotized" and the title track further display their evolving sound. The former is pretty doomy but still more uptempo. Greenaway's vocals are the smooth and haunting sort the band is known for while in the latter she brings a real power to match the riffier aspects of the track. It's like riding the album rather than sinking right into it. "Unholy Disease" feels like a sprint compared to some of their work both old and new. It's through these middle tracks where the solos highlight the stylistic difference. Definitely more rock oriented. Speaking of solos, during the solo on the smooth-moving "Velvet" the bass lurches into a more prominent recognition with a growl and the whole album is better for it. This is the track that sealed the deal for me. It's very reminiscent of previous albums and Greenaway gets truly bewitching and haunting. A definite high point.

Album closer "Lake of Fire" is my favourite track on the album though. The keys at the opening add more atmosphere. The bass is featured and the smooth cadence warms my soul. The chorus is huge and magnificent with a riff you can really get behind. Greenaway opens right up to captivate the listener. Even the solos have a quality to them that embraces the listener. It's massive and epic and the perfect way to end the album.

There's more comparison above than I wanted but it is what it is. Despite the new lineup this still sounds like Alunah. It's still doomy. The vocals still soar and the rhythm section is still rock solid. Violet Hour will really start to bury itself in your head after a brief and painless adjustment period. It's catchy, man! There's a little more muscle in the delivery but we all need to get a little stronger in some way. The band has always been evolving. Violet Hour just skipped a couple steps in the process of what they'll become. Come along for the ride.

Alunah - Solennial

By Matt Hinch. If you haven't seen me shoving Alunah in your face on social media yet, it's only a matter of time. Even after penning this review I'm still going to plug this band every chance I get. You see, they’re

By Matt Hinch.

Artwork by Adrian Baxter.

If you haven't seen me shoving Alunah in your face on social media yet, it's only a matter of time. Even after penning this review I'm still going to plug this band every chance I get. You see, they’re well versed in Sabbathianisms but move forward a few years worth of influence and you've got a fuzz factor more akin to a certain Mr. Scott “Wino” Weinrich. Couple that with guitarist/vocalist Sophie Day's bewitching vocals and it's a recipe for playlist domination. And dominate my playlist their Svart Records debut, Solennial has.

Previous album Awakening the Forest probably set a record for longest presence on my phone/iPod. I couldn't bear to take it off until I got the promo for this one. That's well over two years. I'm never not in the mood for Alunah. Solennial with likely stick around until they release another one.

Let's get some particulars out of the way before we get much further here. As mentioned Sophie Day handles guitar and vocals, David Day mans the other 6-string, Daniel Burchmore's on bass and Jake Mason anchors the band on drums. I should also note it was recorded and mixed by Chris Fielding of Conan at (Jon Davis of Conan's) Skyhammer Studios and was mastered by Greg Chandler. Also Charlotte “Chipper” Nicholls (Crippled Black Phoenix) enhances the atmosphere with her cello across much of the album and Rich Harris (Oily Toys) makes a guest appearance on vocals. Not to mention Adrian Baxter's spectacular cover art.

OK, back to the music. Opener “The Dying Soil” is a dreamy intro slowly building on a melody until it drops dead leading into the fuzz odyssey that follows. “Light of Winter” sets the mood with its dark yet warm aura brimming with tone. The riffs here and throughout Solennial fall on the hypnotic side inducing involuntary toe tapping and head nodding.

Another aspect permeating the album is its catchiness. “Feast of Torches” especially takes up residence deep in the brain with its repetitive main riff and killer chorus. Heaviness and groove don't let you forget this is doom however. Soulful leads and Sophie's croon lift the overall feel out of eternal darkness and into the light while numbing the nerve centres, calming the psyche and inducing a state of mellow relaxation through stoner/sludge ecstasy.

Nicholls' cello accents soothe deeply and amplify Alunah's melodic sensibility sending the listener heavenward while lyrically Alunah make you feel like heaven is right here on earth. Personally, it can feel quite spiritual.

I have to admit the album's closer has me feeling a bit embarrassed. Had I read the promo materials (I skipped right to “Download”.) or had a goth bone in my body, I would have known “A Forest” was originally done by The Cure before listening to it 50 times and sitting down to write this. My apologies. Upon checking out the original it's obvious but after the telling intro Alunah takes the song down a notch or two, not only tonally but on speed as well. They turned it into a soporific doom opus with hints of the original poking their way through. Alunah have made the track all their own and exposed at least one listener (me) to a band not previously on the radar.

Solennial is simply superb. The smoky fluidity of Alunah's melodies coil around you imbuing warmth as comforting as your favourite wool sweater or a mother's embrace. Repeated listens only enhance the connection to the encapsulating album and reveals the deeper subtleties such as Burchmore's bass touches and Mason's smooth percussion. Solennial will become a staple of my listening habits for the foreseeable future and hopefully you'll become awakened to its endless charms yourself.

Alunah - White Hoarhound

Aluhnah's White Hoarhund layers classic epic doom on top of fuzzy stoner metal. The riffs are huge, the melodies are catchy, and the soaring voice of Sophie Day is just beautiful. The songs are driven by these simple and

Aluhnah's White Hoarhund layers classic epic doom on top of fuzzy stoner metal. The riffs are huge, the melodies are catchy, and the soaring voice of Sophie Day is just beautiful. The songs are driven by these simple and effective riffs, but that doesn't mean they all sound the same. There are fluid changes in song structures and tempos, as the detailed review from The Obelisk puts it: "while it’s the riffs being followed, the destination changes". Alunah is band that manages to be both doomy and dynamic.

The title track features the best of the many great choruses on the album. Plus an exemplary use of the fuzzy fade, followed by the triumphant return of the melody. In this interview with The Sludgelord Sophie Day details the creation of the song.

"We went up the Great Orme which is a huge, beautiful headland which I've been going to since I was in the womb! We were reading some info about the plants which were natural to the area. White Hoarhound (normally spelt White Horehound) was one of them and was used by the monks to treat coughs and general lung conditions. In my head there and then I wrote the song."

The album closes with the two parter Oak Ritual I and II. I is stripped down as Sophie Day harmonizes with herself accompanied by acoustic guitars and Hammond organ. II starts as a 'typical' Alunah song, but then goes all psychedelic on us, and finishes with an explosive solo. And after a long pause the Hammond organ returns and delivers a suitably haunting ending. Way to go.