ALBUM REVIEW: Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran – Lowen
Written between 977 and 1010 by the legendary Persian poet Abul-Qâsem Ferdowsi Tusi – more commonly known as Ferdowsi – The Shahnameh or The Book Of Kings is an epic poem consisting of 50,000 couplets and is the national epic of Greater Iran. It focuses on the mythical and to some extent historical past of the Persian Empire, from its creation to the Muslim conquest in the 7th-Century, and it is the seminal work of Persian culture. One of the many fables of this great work forms the backbone of Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran (DNGTWWTDM from here on out), the highly anticipated sophomore from London-based LOWEN.
The progressive doom trio of Nina Saeidi (vocals, multiple traditional instruments), Shem Lucas (guitars), and Cal Constantine (drums) have gained a reputation over the last six years for crushing doom riffs imbued with the rich history of the ancient Middle East and its vast, desolate places. Following on from their crushingly heavy debut – which was based around the Ziggurat of Ur – A Crypt Full Of Stars (2018) and their haunting acoustic EP Unceasing Lamentations (2021), DNGTWWTDM is equally heavy, thought-provoking and haunting. Focusing on the folly of the Shahnameh’s kings alongside the death sentences that the women of Iran are being given for protesting in the ongoing Woman Life Freedom movement, this is one of those albums that stops you dead in your tracks and commands your attention.
The band also focuses on the displaced identity of Saeidi, who was born into exile from Iran in the UK. Utilising Farsi, English, and Sumerian languages, Saeidi’s mournful traditional tahrir style vocals – a style unique to Iran – uses the ancient Persian past to explore the pain and longing of being exiled and dispossessed. Iran is has a reputation for laws that stifle women, including laws around music. Metal is illegal and women singing unaccompanied risk execution. With all this forming the backdrop of the album, DNGTWWTDM is a very poignant listen.
LOWEN have certainly gone from strength to strength; DNGTWWTDM builds on the foundations of A Crypt Full of Stars, but tightens up the songwriting and production without losing the mystical and mesmeric vibe of their debut. Saeidi’s mournful vocals accompanied by the sandstone slab riffing of Lucas and the thunderous pounding of Constantine’s drums creates an intense atmosphere as you’re transported to the deserts of Persia where the stars fall and the people dispel the demons from their lives with visceral force.
By using Middle Eastern scales to form their guitar and vocal melodies alongside Saeidi’s arsenal of traditional Middle Eastern instruments, LOWEN have always had a beguiling yet apocalyptic quality to their music, where the past and present collide in such a way that it feels like a descent into the abyss. This reinforces the sense of displacement, not belonging here or there, and Saeidi utilities the emotions of this with devastating effect in her lyrics and performance – there is no fear when it comes to facing her reality and the injustices that the women of Iran face in their home country and across the world.
The album opens up with Corruption On Earth, one of two songs that are written about the injustices happening in Iran. It is a crushingly heavy, riff-driven track that sees Saeidi unleashing poignant and powerful lyrics and tahrir melodies to devastating effect. Najang Bah Divhayeh Mazandaran introduces The Shahnameh side of the album, following on with its bombastic progressive metal riffs and featuring Farsi and Sumerian lyrics. It has an intense and apocalyptic atmosphere that makes you feel like the abyss has opened up and you’re fighting for survival against darkness and demons. Waging War Against God is the second song written about the injustices in Iran. It is a visceral and emotional track hammered home with brutally heavy riffs and another powerfully mournful and rage-filled performance from Saeidi.
The second half of the album starts with The Seed That Dreamed Of Its Own Creation; sung completely in Farsi, it is slower and more atmospheric than the first half of the album despite being the shortest song on the record. May Your Ghost Drink Pure Water starts off with an eerie, cello introduction played by Arianna Mahsayeh before erupting into more bludgeoning riffs and thunderous drums. There is a portentous darkness to this track, as if the ghost of the person in question had been poisoned in life. The album closes with the nine-minute epic Ghazal For The Embrace Of Fire. A whirlwind of chunky riffs, swirling Middle Eastern style guitar leads and haunting vocals, it consolidates all the visceral emotion built up throughout the album and unleashes it with a final, all-consuming and intense performance.
Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran is an emotionally poignant album that channels the past to process the pain of injustice in modern times. LOWEN know how to make an impact, and there is no sophomore syndrome here. This album will no doubt put them firmly in focus in the wider metal community consciousness and demonstrate why you need to support their message.
Rating: 9/10
Do Not Go To War With The Demons Of Mazandaran is set for release on October 4th via Church Road Records.
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