ALBUM REVIEW: Violet Hour – Alunah
As stated in our review for their recent Amber & Gold EP, ALUNAH are one of the better doom/stoner acts currently active within the UK scene. That EP marked a notable change within the band, with Siân Greenaway replacing long term vocalist/guitarist Sophie Day at the helm of the band. It also marked a slight change of pace musically for the band into much a much fresher and reinvigorated sound. Hot off of the acclaim for this release, as well as many shows across the UK, including a brilliant set at Manorfest back in May, this incarnation of the band have quickly put out their first full length record together, Violet Hour, an album that is ultimately anchored in their classic sound, with a few notable hints at change within their music.
Trapped and Bound starts this album off strong with some great, haunting vocals, chunky riffs and much lighter, ethereal guitar passages, all backed up by steady, authoritative drumming that immediately draw the listener in, making a solid impression right out of the gate and proving to be a catchy and memorable piece of music from the first listen. It does a great job of setting the listener up for the rest of the album, and establishes a lofty bar for the rest of the record to overcome.
Dance of Deceit is a short, yet brilliant, track that brings in full chords and glorious vocals to create what is, essentially, a catchy and memorable classic doom metal offering. The vocals really carry this song for the most part, ducking and weaving between the dense feel of the music and acting as a sublime focal point whenever they are present. Hunt is a much hazier, borderline psychedelic track, with a thick, sludgy bass line and hypnotic drums providing a great backdrop to the airy guitar hooks and the excellent, soaring vocals. It’s got a vast and epic sound that it’s incredibly hard not to love, and boasts some of the most eclectic musicianship on the record, easily standing out significantly from the majority of the tracks on here. Hypnotised has a slick, confident swagger to it, and an infectious groove courtesy of the guitars, which ultimately makes this song appear more lively in spite of its reserved pace. The guitar leads work exceptionally well on here, providing a lot of great moments that keep this fairly lengthy piece of music engrossing from the first note to the last.
The albums second half kicks off with the titular track, Violet Hour, a much more forceful and powerful sounding song, with some brilliant lead riffs drawing the listener in immediately, with Siân‘s soulful vocals providing a great counterpoint to the fierce yet bleak music on offer. Out of all the songs up until this point, this song has perhaps some of the most adventurous musicianship, with the guitars and bass giving this song a solid, rhythmic sound, punctuated by thunderous licks that sound fantastic. It’s easily one of the stand out tracks on the record, not staying any longer than necessary and leaving the listener wanting more.
Unholy Disease, much like its predecessor, is a short, but memorable, affair with some great guitar work that really brings the music to life, with an epic, hair raising chorus jumping out and demanding your attention, making for another excellent, punchy track. Velvet is another great song, with the guitars and bass being, at points, a little subdued in order to allow the vocals to really come to the fore and be the central focus of what’s going on. It’s still got lots of sturdy rhythms and solid flourishes that keep it engaging for guitar fans, but this song is designed to showcase just how good Siân Greenaway is as a vocalist. This isn’t to say that the rest of the music takes a backseat, far from it; this song features some of the most prominent, bubbling bass parts that you’re likely to hear on this album, and the guitars make for a varied and powerful contrast to the sweet and soaring approach the vocals take.
Lake of Fire proves to be a fairly seismic shift in the songwriting on this record, departing for the most part from the solid doom influences that have pervaded the album up to this point, and opting for a more brooding, atmospheric affair with a driving bass hook and hammond organ sections creating a much more morose and epic feel than on many of the previous songs. It’s a slow burning track, with, as always, some amazing vocals, tight drum passages and noticeably cleaner, murkier guitars, bringing to mind earlier tracks like Hunt. It’s a refreshing change of pace that helps to bring this album to a close on one of its highest and most hair raising points.
Violet Hour is another excellent album by ALUNAH, a band that already have a reputation for producing great music. The guitar and bass parts all sound great, and there’s some definite hints of a slight change of musical direction on here that, in some cases, prove to be album highlights. Moreover, if there were any doubts at all after the release of Amber & Gold that Siân would not be able to fill the shoes of her predecessor, then this album well and truly dispels each and every one of them; on many of the tracks, her fantastic vocal deliveries and performances not only carried the song, but made it more impressive than it was already. Violet Hour is an incredibly strong piece of music when viewed as a whole, and it could very well go on to be regarded as one of the band’s best records overall in years to come.
Rating: 9/10
Violet Hour is set for release on October 11th via Heavy Psych Sounds.
Like ALUNAH on Facebook.