Album
Type:
Album
Date
Released:
April 14th 2015
Label:
Battleground
Records
Saros
- Track Listing
1.Chosen
2.Lament
3.The Sight
4.Trials
5.Sleep Eater
6.Prayer
7.Eclipse
Members:
Eric Kniss - Guitar
& Vocals
Rashid Nadjib - Bass
Cody Schnieders -
Guitar & Vocals
Troy Schoenbaum -
Drums
Review:
I've
heard a few people recently telling me to look out for Wovoka's debut
album - Saros - as it has the potential to be one of the standout
Atmospheric Sludge/Post-Metal albums of 2015. I've featured the band
last year when I reviewed their single - Sleep Eater - which makes an
appearance on the album. Newly signed to Battleground Records, Wovoka
has released a highly ambitious album with Saros as they look to find
their own identity within the burgeoning Post Metal world. A lot of
people are tired of bands copying the highly dynamic formula that
Neurosis, ISIS and Cult Of Luna created with their legendary music.
It seems some Post-Metal bands are mere copycats of what has come
before them. Can Wovoka buck the trend or will they fall victim where
a lot of Post-Metal bands have failed recently.
The
indications are good with opening track - Chosen - a song that has
the right amount of Post-Rock/Post-Metal duality with traces of loud
Sludge Metal with vocalists – Eric and Cody - doing a fine job
shouting their heart out to a fragile and broken world. It's the
ambient noises and sounds that give Wovoka such a promising start as
this album feels it's building for an epic conclusion packed full of
raw emotion. Wovoka makes you feel part of the journey with complex
rhythms and ideas surrounding you every step of the way.
Second
track - Lament - starts with a more colder slow-paced Post-Rock
movement with echoes of silent despair before the band add a more
heavier sludgier element that has a slight resemblance to Cult Of
Luna. Wovoka still provides a fresh perspective as the tone of the
album still hangs around in the darkness. The instrumental work is
highly impressive through out as Wovoka play as a singular unit. Each
member plays an equal and important part bringing Saros to life as
the band explore as many as different ideas as the possible. The
albums mood is bleak and desolate through out as Wovoka don't offer
any uplifting passages of Post-Rock sounds. It's a depressing and
challenging album to listen to with the band providing many exciting
moments for you to encounter.
Third
track - The Sight - carries on the musical path from the earlier
tracks though with a more menacing attitude as the music and vocals
are very direct than ever before. Wovoka finishes the song on a
distorted and bleak end as the ambient noises take over with
slow-paced creepy moments adding a colder feel to the album. There
are four other songs for Wovoka to impress you with - Sleep Eater and
Eclipse. Sleep Eater is a song I reviewed back in 2014 and rated very
highly but this version is so much better as you can see the order
the song falls under on the album. It' gives the song a more complex
and haunting feel as Wovoka venture further into Psychedelic Sludge
territory.
There
are two more songs to end the album with. Sixth song - Prayer - is an
experimental ambient affair that acts more as a respite before Wovoka
unleashes one final epic track with Eclipse. Eclipse runs for a
mind-expanding 14 mines or so and Wovoka throw everything at you to
survive from. As Wovoka blend heavy ambient based soundscapes with
the violent and thunderous Sludge/Post-Metal riffs for one bruising
encounter. Saros ends on a dramatic high and showcases that Wovoka
has created an intelligent and thought provoking affair. Wovoka
proves they're one of the most exciting bands to come from the
Post-Metal world in a very long time. A truly stunning debut record.
Thanks
to Cat Jones at Southern Cross PR for the promo. Saros will be
available to buy from Battleground Records on DD/CD from April
14th 2015.
Words
by Steve Howe
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