Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: 15/04/2020
Label: Burning World Records
“Maiden, Mother, Crone” CD//DD//LP track listing:
1).
Mantis
2).
Cwn Annwn
3).
Tau Ceti
4).
Peace Of My Mind
5).
Seeking Eden
6).
Dark Call
7).
Arise (Darkness Died Today)
8).
Crushed By The Weight Of The Sky
The Review:
Swansea's
Sigirya
certainly have the stoner/doom/metal pedigree- Acrimony and Iron Monkey loom large in their back story.
This is their third full length record and a follow up to “Darkness Died
Today” which was released back in 2014. Opener “Mantis” sets out
the band's stall- loping grooves, space rock rhythms and riffs and sitar
overdubs. A promising and surprisingly airy start.
From
there, “Cwn Annwn” is similarly uplifting and oddly soaring, despite the
low end rumble and weighty riffage. As per previous records, there is as much
for fans of Monster
Magnet here as there is for fans of any of the members' alma mater
bands. “Yau Ceti” and “Peace of My Mind” continue in the same
vein and it becomes clear what the band will deliver over the course of the
album- languid grooves, uplifting and melancholy riffs and melodies, combined
with some real weight. Add in some time changes and reverb soaked vocals and
you have a Welsh stoner holy mountain.
Across
the eight tracks there are plenty of twists and turns- it doesn't just rumble
along at one pace- but there is enough uniformity to just stick the record on
all the way through and absorb it; dare I say it... a little like the best Hawkwind records. You
can certainly differentiate the loose and light “Seeking Eden” from the
harder driving and more concise “Dark Call”.
There
are darker tracks such as “Arise (Darkness Died Today)” which has a
grunge like feel to it and acts as a fine bridge to the more epic closing
statement of “Crushed By The Weight Of The Sky” which is the heaviest
track on the album as well as being one of the best. Strangely, as I have
mentioned grunge, some of the passages of music and melodies sound a lot like Nirvana, slowed down
and beefed up. No bad thing as it lends the album a unique timeless quality in
keeping with the band's approach and lyrical themes.
I
would not hesitate to recommend this to fans of any of the bands mentioned
within this review- there's nothing to dislike and plenty to enjoy. The
performances match the material assembled here and this is a diverting and
different listen.
“Maiden,
Mother, Crone” is
available HERE
