The Third Eye

AAWKS is a project that, in the last 18 months, has released one excellent full-length (Heavy On The Cosmic), an incredible split with Aiwass (The Eastern Scrolls), and just two months after that split, is dropping Luna, a four-track effort named after the Roman goddess of the moon. We are here to talk about that today, so let’s dig in!

About Luna

Luna is dropping on December 8th via Black Throne Productions and features a new original song, two covers, and a live version of “All Is Fine” from back in the first part of 2022. We’ll get to those covers shortly because they’re exceptionally well done, and one of them is among the most memorable tracks of the 1980s. The band says this of the album …

“‘The Figure’ picks up where we left off with Heavy on the Cosmic. It is still heavily inspired by themes of the otherworldly, allegorical, fantastical, psychedelic, and occult imagery, but this time with a darker, more surrealistic twist. Heavy on the Cosmic used a Technicolor palette throughout most of our songs, where the second album will play more in the darker corners of the room, in the shadows, where the candles flicker. This time, we’re focused a bit more on the flights of the amygdala than distortions of the pineal. We’ve still traveled through portals to far-off lands, but this time will be set more in the wee hours, alone in a forest near a swamp. This time, we will be more going to battle with our demons than picking mushrooms in the grove.”

The Songs

1. The Figure (05:12)

This is a brand-new track and is a doozy. It opens up with some spacey sound effects, then drops into a thick bass line, and as a guy who used to play bass, I always gravitate toward these types of intros. AAWKS then does what they do best, which is to provide listeners with powerful heavy psych. The riffs are thick and reek of a Black Sabbath influence, but the band never strays too far from their psych tendencies, and this is a kick-ass track because of it.

2.  Julia Dream – Pink Floyd Cover (03:47)

Initially released in 1968 as a B-Side to Pink Floyd’s “It Would Be So Nice,” it features the first lead vocal appearances of David Gilmour. AAWKS approached this song with all the reverence it deserves and hit it out of the park in terms of execution. They extended the song by about a minute, but that only shows that this band can be themselves while still honoring a classic psych track.

3. I Ran (So Far Away) – Flock Of Seagulls Cover (06:31)

If you’re anything like me, you heard the chorus in your head as soon as you read the title. The difference is that AAWKS slows things down during that chorus, laden with watery effects. The slower tempo there also creates a vibe that fits in perfectly with the foundation of the band’s overall sound. I dig the vocal performance and the tone of this track as a whole.

4. All Is Fine (Live) (05:16)

I’m not a fan of live recordings, but this one sounds surprisingly good. This track originally appeared on their Heavy On The Cosmic album, and this live performance stays faithful to the original, just with that live vibe behind it.

Final Thoughts

You can never go wrong with an AAWKS album, and Luna is yet another excellent example of that. The new EP is a stellar example of what this band is all about, and their choice of cover tracks is perfectly executed. So head over to Bandcamp and wrap your ears around Luna!

Support AAWKS by finding them on Bandcamp or see all their links here.

Support Black Throne Productions by heading to their website.

This review was written by Tom Hanno, who has been writing reviews for the last 7 years but has been sharing his love of music for the majority of his life. Originally starting out at the now-defunct Chimera Magazine, he is currently contributing to Doomed and Stoned, The Sleeping Shaman, The Doom Charts, Tom’s Reviews, and The Third Eye. Read more of Tom’s reviews by checking out his Linktree.

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