From Hammerheart Records comes enigmatic Progressive Metal band AIWAZ. Bandcamp describes them as a mixture of QUEENSRYCHE, MARILLION, GHOST, and MY DYING BRIDE, and their sound is “epic beyond epic.” A band born out of the depths of musical exploration, was founded in 2017 by Arkadius Kurek and Timo Maischatz. Their shared vision was to create a space where slow, melancholic melodies could thrive and resonate with listeners on a profound level. The band consists of Arkadius Kurek as the vocalist and lyricist, while Timo Maischatz masterfully plays all instruments, weaving intricate musical tapestries that serve as the foundation for their evocative sound.

The album has six songs, and the title track is first. It has a low and slow sound to it, fueled by a weighted riff and some light leads. Strings follow, and the landscape is Doomy when the harmonic vocals spring. The harsh vocals bring a deadly edge to their sound, however. “The Ghost That Once Was I” begins with clean guitars and strings and has an old school 70’s folk edge to it. But when the main riff hits, it hits hard and heavy, and the vocal harmonies shine once again. Overall, the vocals are very emotive, and the band smartly backs them with moving music. “In This Silence” has both a more sad and more angry sound from the harsh vocals, but melodies are still high in the music. That “epic” quality they talk about in the beginning is also quite strong.

“Cemetary of Hearts” has a sturdy sound from the heavy riff, but an equally sad song from the vocals, and the two styles wrestle with one another throughout the song. “Garden of Despair” hears the doomy quality of the music dragged out with even slower tones. Again, the vocals carry much of the heavy burden that is woven so deeply into the music. “When Judas Spins the Wheel” closes the album, and it’s a ten-minute beast. To be completely honest, I don’t hear a lot of influence from QUEENSRYCHE, MARILLION, or GHOST in their music, and that is fine. Instead, I find that the album has its own identity. Much of their sound is steeped in the Doom genre, but there are also elements of hope mixed in with the despair. What I find tickled me most about the album was how heavy the emotional impact of the vocals was on their sound.