Saturday 2 November 2013

Ajuna - Prisoner of the Sun (Album Review)




Album Type : Full Length
Date Released :  27/09/2013
Label : Quality Steel Records

Prisoner of the Sun, album track listing :

1). Tribute 4:38
2). Medicin 3:26
3). Invisible Cut 5:25
4). Suntomb 4:50
5). Kaos 4:44
6). Death 7:23
7). Winter 4:04

Bio :

Ajuna's music is "Psychological" and "pre-Conscious". Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, AJUNA collectively created an introverted universe that revolves around emotional suffering, parallel realities, eccentric philosophy and death. Hailing from Copenhagen, Denmark, Ajuna collectively created to introverted universe did revolves around emotional suffering, parallel realities, eccentric philosophy and death. QUALITY STEEL RECORDS is going to release the psychotically atmospheric, dark toned and harsh debut full length album “Prisoners of the Sun” in the fall of 2013. QUALITY STEEL RECORDS is going to release the psychotically atmospheric, dark and harsh toned debut full length album "Prisoners of the Sun" in the fall of 2013. Consisting of 7 songs, “Prisoners Of The Sun” was recorded and mixed by producer Jacob Bredahl (The Kandidate, The Psyche Project, Koldborn, As we fight, The Burning, By the Patient, Helhorse.. etc.). Consisting of 7 songs, "Prisoners Of The Sun" which recorded and mixed by producer Jacob Bredahl (The Kandidate, The Psyche Project, Koldborn, As we fight, The Burning, By the patient, Helhorse etc.

The Band :

Skovsted
Hufsa Helmer
Trampe Hartfelt

Review :

Ajuna play atmospheric/bleak post black metal. They hail from Denmark. The sound hits you first; sombre and thick with warmth in the sonics, if not the material. It is indeed bleak stuff as Tribute opens proceedings with bm blast/roll style beats and plenty of slower tempo work. The guitars are atonal and rather menacing with some memorable riffing/progressions.

Medicin starts slow and in angular fashion. The instruments have a chance to breathe nicely with the thick production not stifling them. The bass has an excellent tone to it while the drums sound live and real. The vocals hit a familiar black metal style shriek in places, with a more deathly delivery also rearing its head.

Invisible Cut uses slow tempos to its advantage, breaking up the record nicely. The approach to start is veritably doomy with down tuned guitars and bass rumbling away. One guitar takes the riffing up the neck to move the sound into more familiar blackened territory while the groove locks down then lurches upwards with only a little warning (listen to it and you will hear what I mean).

Suntomb sounds almost like post punk to start and carries with it an odd, head nodding pace that utilises the fast picking/slow melodic progression of black metal well before blurring into noise for the verses. The album's title is in the lyrics (as you may have guessed from the title) and the record does indeed remind me a little of Dragged Into Sunlight during at the half way point.

Kaos has an almost pleasant type of shoegaze-ish riff at first but the despair sets in soon enough as again the tempos vary and the tracks shifts through the various gears creating a rather (un)pleasant soundscape.

Death comes ripping (apologies) out with distorted and rhythmical bass work creating a solid bedrock with the drums as the guitars reinforce and accentuate the rolling refrain. Again, the guitars do unusual things- at once fast and furious but supplying angular melodies also. The band make good use of this trick over this (the album's longest track) and over the whole record. There is certainly light and shade within the track as fury is juxtaposed with rays of hope here and there.

Finally Winter brings this unusual and engrossing album to a conclusion with a thick wall of noise taking as the band make use of the warm production- noisy and artful just about sum the track up. Fancy something a little different? Post black metal with a wide scope of sounds, this record is excellent and is well worth your time.

Words by : Richard Maw

You can buy it here




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