Posted in Whathaveyou on September 3rd, 2018 by JJ Koczan
UK forest doomers Alunah are getting ready over the next couple months to bookend their Spring 2018 tour with a string of shows through late-October and the rest of the year. They’ll support Diamond Head on Oct. 21 in Cheltenham, and on Nov. 10 travel to Austria to appear at Doom Over Vienna XIII alongside the respected likes of Apostle of Solitude, Castle, Iron Void, and others. That’s their only non-UK appearance this time around, and it’s not a one-into-the-next kind of tour so much as shows spaced out across different weeks, but a solid way for Alunah to round out 2018 as they continue to move toward their inevitable next album, which will be their first with vocalist Siân Greenaway in the lineup.
I seem to recall hearing at some point the plan was to get a record out in 2019, though that might just be wishful thinking. Somehow Alunah seem to wind up on my most-anticipated list every year, no matter what. Probably because they’re awesome. Yeah, I bet that’s it.
They announced the gigs on social media thusly:
This Autumn we will be heading out on these selected dates around the UK, with the exception of a brief jaunt in Europe to play Doom over Vienna – the Austrian Doom Metal Fest! We will be playing with some great bands including the legendary Diamond Head, and battle-hardened doomsters Conan. We can’t wait to get out and about and bring the heavy! We hope to see lots of friends too.
Tour artwork by Joe McEvoy Artwork. Photo courtesy of Benjamin Parry.
Alunah live: 21.10 The Frog and Fiddle Cheltenham UK w/ Diamond Head 27.10 The Angel Microbrewery Nottingham UK 03.11 The Green Room Welwyn Garden City UK 10.11 Doom Over Vienna XIII Vienna AT 17.11 Asylum 2 Birmingham UK* 24.11 Temple of Boom Leeds UK 01.12 Pilgrims Pit Stoke UK 08.12 The Swan Ipswich UK
Alunah is: Siân Greenaway – Vocals David Day – Guitar Daniel Burchmore – Bass Jake Mason – Drums
I am a firm believer in Midlands, UK, naturalist doom rockers Alunah, who in 2018 find themselves engaged in perhaps the most difficult work they’ve done to-date. Their task is to find out who they are as a band without guitarist/vocalist Sophie Day at the forefront. After four strong full-lengths with the group — the latest of which, Solennial (review here), came out last year as their debut on Svart — Sophie announced she was leaving the band, and as her forest-worship lyrics provided so much of the band’s distinctive aesthetic, as guitarist Dave Day, bassist Daniel Burchmore and drummer Jake Mason move forward, the question remains what Alunah will be without that pivotal element.
While I don’t think we’ll really know for at least another album or two — in other words, not for years — Alunah have begun to play shows with new vocalist Siân Greenaway, and today I’m proud to announce that The Obelisk is among the sponsors for their upcoming May tour, which will obviously be the first with Greenaway at the mic. Ostensibly the band is still supporting Solennial, which, by the by, was fantastic, but more than that, they’re beginning the exploration of who they are in this new era and who they’re going to be going forward from here. As a fan of the band and the work they’ve done over the course of the last decade, I’m thrilled to be one of the sponsors for the tour and I will watch with great interest (also great distance) as they take to the Germany, France, and Belgium in May.
Alunah are also booked for Doom Over Vienna in Austria this November, and I imagine they’ll be keeping plenty busy in the interim over the summer, so stay tuned for more. In the meantime, here are the dates coming up, and presented with thanks to the band for having this site on board in this way:
After the first initial UK shows with our new line-up Alunah are very excited to confirm the following upcoming European run for 2018. We look forward to seeing old friends, and to also break new ground with festivals and venues we haven’t played before.
28th April UK Brighton “Green Door Store” 2nd May UK London “Nightclub Kolis/The Lounge” 3rd May Belgium Antwerp “Music City” 4th May Germany Oldenburg “MTS Records” 5th May Denmark Copenhagen “Northern Discomfort” Festival 7th May Germany Jena “Kulturbahnof” 8th May Germany Dresden “Chemiefabrik” 9th May Germany Stuttgart “Keller Klub” 10th May Germany Aachen “Musikbunker” 11th May France Paris “Fuzzy Sounds” Festival 12th May France Lille “Le Biplan” 18th May UK Coventry “The Phoenix” 19th May UK Bristol “The Old England” 10th Nov Aus “Doom over Vienna” Festival
Alunah is: Siân Greenaway – Vocals David Day – Guitar Daniel Burchmore – Bass Jake Mason – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 2nd, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Just about five weeks after it was announced that founding guitarist/vocalist Sophie Day was leaving Birmingham, UK, doomers Alunah and that the band would continue on in her absence with her husband, guitarist David Day and drummer Jake Mason as the remaining original members, the four-piece have confirmed adding Siân Greenaway as their new singer. Greenaway, whose CV includes handling guitar/vocals in the more uptempo Bear Legs and other groups, steps into Alunah after the release of their fourth and arguably broadest ranging album, Solennial (review here), was released earlier in 2017 as their first offering through Svart Records.
As Sophie Day‘s nature-themed lyrics were a big part of Alunah‘s forest doom aesthetic both on that record and in the past, a huge question that remains to be answered is what Greenaway will bring to the band in that regard. It seems like we might have a while before we find out. The band will make their live debut on Nov. 27 in Birmingham, supporting Royal Thunder, and look to tour in 2018 while also working to solidify new material over that time. It doesn’t seem like they’re rushing to get back in the studio, but then, they did just put a record out, so one wouldn’t necessarily expect them to anyhow.
More when I hear it, I guess, but until then, best of luck to Alunah, Greenaway included, as they head into this new era. Here’s a press release I wrote for the band to make it official:
Alunah Announce New Vocalist Siân Greenaway & Live Debut
Midlands, UK, doom rockers Alunah have announced the addition of vocalist Siân Greenaway to their lineup. The new incarnation of the four-piece will make their live debut on 27 November at Mama Roux’s in their native Birmingham, supporting Royal Thunder.
Greenaway joins Alunah after the stunning departure in September of founding vocalist/guitarist Sophie Day, who fronted the band across four full-length releases, the latest of which, Solennial, was issued earlier this year on Svart Records. In conjunction with Day’s leaving, Alunah vowed to press on, and with the arrival of Greenaway, they will look to tour in 2018 and begin writing material for their next album.
“I’m honoured to be part of Alunah,” enthuses Greenaway. “I look forward to being part of the future of the band and am excited to take it forward.”
Bassist Dan Burchmore echoed the sentiment: “We were instantly impressed with Siân’s vocal ability, passion and commitment. We feel she will be a welcome addition to the band and we can’t wait to see what 2018 holds.”
Tour dates for 2018 are forthcoming. Booking enquiries can be sent to booking@alunah.co.uk.
Alunah is: Siân Greenaway – Vocals David Day – Guitar Daniel Burchmore – Bass Jake Mason – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 26th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Bummer news out of the UK for fans of heavy forest rockers Alunah, and make no mistake, I consider myself to be one. Guitarist/vocalist Sophie Day has decided after 11 years to leave the band she and husband/fellow guitarist Dave Day started in 2006. Her stepping down from the frontwoman role leaves a significant void in Alunah, as she was also responsible for the lyrics and thereby the naturalist thematic that has become so much a part of Alunah‘s sound over the course of their four albums — the latest of which, Solennial (review here), came out as their first for Svart Records earlier this year — but the band has decided to continue on and search for a replacement with whom they’ll look to move forward on a fifth full-length.
Sophie‘s last shows with Alunah were this past July with Acid King, which seems fitting in terms of the influence that band had particularly on Alunah‘s earlier offerings. In a brief statement, Sophie says she has other avenues she’s interested in exploring, and in addition to general intrigue as to what shape Alunah might take in her absence, I know I for one would be interested to hear how she would/hopefully will manifest songwriting in the future. Maybe she’ll go acid folk. That would rule. She could pull it off, not a doubt in my mind. Songs of the wood and whatnot.
In case you’d like to rock some Alunah in her honor, all four of their albums can be streamed at the bottom of this post.
Best of luck of course to Sophie Day and to the band, who made the announcement thusly on their website:
Singer/Guitarist Sophie Day Leaves Alunah
25/9/2017
It is with a heavy heart that we announce the departure of our singer and guitarist Sophie Day; our gigs back in July with Acid King were particularly poignant, due to that fact that they were Soph’s final gigs with us.
As a founding member, Soph has been with Alunah since our inception in 2006, and she has been an integral part in forging Alunah into what it has become today. The remaining members of Alunah wish to continue, and invite applications to be sent to info@alunah.co.uk. Please only apply if you are serious and willing to commit.
Of her decision Soph said, “When we started Alunah I never realised how huge a part of my life it would become, how many wonderful people I would meet and establish lasting relationships with, how much music we would write and release, how much support we would get from labels and press, how many countries we would visit and how many of our favourite bands we would share the stage with. It has been my comfort blanket through personal trauma and have been moved when told how much our music has affected some of you guys. It has been amazing.
“However, there are other avenues I want to explore, both musically and in my personal life, and I can no longer give my all to Alunah, nor would it be fair to try and force Alunah in the direction I would like to go in. I continue to support the guys with design and marketing and of course through Dave’s and my label Catacomb Records, who have just co-released ‘White Hoarhound’ with HeviSike Records. I wish Dave, Jake, Dan and my replacement(s) the best of luck for the future, and I thank every single one of you for your support over the years. It’s been a trip.”
[Click play above to hear the premiere of ‘A Forest’ from Alunah’s Solennial. Album is out March 17 on Svart Records.]
Visions of countryside rituals, changing seasons, old growth forests and the quiet, wistful contemplations that these ideas can inspire are nothing new atmospherically for Midlands four-piece Alunah, who from their earliest goings have had a strong sense of aesthetic mindfulness and set about developing it. 2017 marks a decade since their first demo, Crystal Voyage, and what they’ve accomplished in the last 10 years is considerable, from their nascent Fall to Earth EP in 2008 and 2009’s split with Queen Elephantine (review here) up through Solennial, their fourth album, which aligns them with respected purveyor Svart Records and brings forth their most complex and deepest-running work yet.
One can trace a clear line of progression on Alunah‘s albums, across 2010’s Call of Avernus (review here), 2012’s White Hoarhound (review here) and 2014’s Awakening the Forest (review here), but the eight tracks/43 minutes of Solennial celebrate a particular moment of arrival for them. Working alongside much-lauded producer and Conan bassist/vocalist Chris Fielding at Skyhammer Studio, Alunah — guitarist/vocalist Sophie Day, guitarist Dave Day, bassist Daniel Burchmore and drummer Jake Mason — bring more of an ambient sensibility to their output than ever before, and while Fielding is known for his own crushing tones and those he’s able to bring out of others in the studio, and Solennial is plenty heavy in its raw sound, it’s the spaces that Alunah create and fill that allow these songs to come to life in the vivid, colorful way they do.
To wit, the layers of guitar in subdued intro “The Dying Soil” arrive both far forward and far back, and the room between them comes populated by foreboding string sounds. It’s more than a minute before Mason‘s drums enter with thudding toms behind Sophie‘s vocals, calm and descriptive, and the tension the band creates in that moment isn’t unlike what SubRosa brought to “Despair is a Siren” last year, but as “The Dying Soil” ends with a single snare hit snapping the listener to attention, they of course take their own path into the woods. Those curious, as I was, to hear what kinds of tones Alunah would get out of recording at Skyhammer receive an answer in about the first six seconds of “Light of Winter,” which begins with guitar alone proffering a rich, full and churning fuzz, warm and engrossing. It becomes a defining element of Solennial and lends the band a foundation from which to wonder as they will and do.
“Light of Winter” itself is more straightforward in its rolling groove, though Burchmore adds intriguing fills on bass as he’ll do even more righteously in the subsequent “Feast of Torches,” and as songwriting has always been a strength for Alunah, it’s little surprise that “Light of Winter” begins a succession of memorable cuts running through the rest of side A and beyond. And to Solennial‘s credit, it stays informed by the quiet beginning it goes on from “The Dying Soil,” which seems to find an echo at the start of “Feast of Torches.” Though the latter moves into its nod patiently, that only seems to make it more comfortable once it gets there, and the hook is marked out by the addition of male backing vocals behind Sophie, which will come even more to prominence later on the penultimate “Lugh’s Assembly” and bring a gothic flair to the catchiness in the meantime. “Feast of Torches” explores heavy-psych lead work briefly but ends on its chorus and gives way to the ultra-heavy thud and rumble of “The Reckoning of Time,” which clears to let the first verse take hold over guitar and empty space, gradually brought to a movement of airy tones, layered voice and mid-paced toms that kicks into later-Iommi-style riffing.
It’s ultimately with “Feast of Torches” and “The Reckoning of Time” that the narrative of Solennial seems to really let itself be felt. As Alunah shift into “Fire of Thornborough Henge,” “Petrichor,” “Lugh’s Assembly” and the closing The Cure cover, “A Forest,” the lyrics seem to tie together ideas across tracks, and indeed across albums, as Awakening the Forest is alluded to several times, first in “Fire of Thornborough Henge” and then again in “Petrichor” directly. The final two cuts mention forests as well — you might say it’s the title of the last song, which is the first recorded cover Alunah have done — in a more general way, seemingly as a metaphor for confusion, grief, and the seeking of resolution. This would also tie Solennial to its predecessor, but if Alunah needed to distinguish their fourth outing from their third, they do so both in the execution of this conceptual focus and in the performances within the tracks themselves, whether it’s Burchmore‘s bass, which continues to shine, or Sophie‘s vocals, which show greater range throughout but make a particular highlight of “Fire of Thornborough Henge” and carry “Petrichor” through the bulk of its brooding run — string sounds returning deep in the mix along with plotted lead lines of weeping guitar — until the build playing out subtly behind her reaches its apex in greater force of guitar, bass and drums.
Further, Alunah grow more brazen in toying with structure on “Lugh’s Assembly,” the longest inclusion at 7:52. It essentially breaks in half just about four minutes in, departing its initial verse and chorus in favor of a quieter, progressive flow. The drift is held together first by Sophie‘s vocals and then by a fuzzy guitar solo, and “Lugh’s Assembly” rounds out with the reintroduction of those backing vocals for a few lines, again, goth in their impression. They’re quickly arrived and gone — it really is just a few lines — but a new dynamic for Alunah and a point of potential future growth. As Mason‘s drums pick up to start “A Forest,” joined soon by guitar and bass, the atmosphere remains affected by the track prior, though the intro has little in the end to do with the plodding that emerges in the finale at about a minute into the total six-plus.
One can strain to hear some Electric Wizard brought to the closer at points, but again, this is folded into Alunah‘s overarching intent, which has become all the more individual over time and reaches new heights in that regard on Solennial as well. Ending with a momentary push-into-slowdown that brings the strings back up to close along with the last crashes, “A Forest” even as an adopted song underscores the boldness of the four-piece’s forward movement here, instrumentally, vocally, in arrangement, craft and production. Now past their first 10 years, Alunah have yet to conjure an offering that did not build off what they’ve done in the past while introducing new aspects to their sound, and though they’ve never been prone to drastic shifts — that is, one can feel reasonably certain in putting on “The Reckoning of Time” that they’re not about to start playing grindcore for no reason in the middle of it — they’ve only become steadier in their approach. Solennial basks in a solar ritualizing true to its etymology, but moreover, it carries a feeling of mastery behind its creation that stands in henge-like testament to Alunah‘s hard-won maturity as a band. By no means to they seem like they are finished growing, but then, a forest never is.
Posted in Bootleg Theater on January 16th, 2017 by JJ Koczan
Since the better part of a year ago, when it was first announced that woods-worshiping UK four-piece Alunah had signed to Svart Records for the release of their next album, I’ve been dying to hear how their tones — so gracious and consuming as they’ve become, most recently demonstrated on 2014’s Awakening the Forest (review here) — would sound as captured by producer Chris Fielding, bassist of Conan and engineer at Skyhammer Studio. We get a first sampling in Alunah‘s new video for “Fire of Thornborough Henge,” and it’s been worth the wait. The fuzz is maintained, the clarity refined, and as guitarist/vocalist Soph Day enters into layers of self-harmony, she seems to do so with a greater spaciousness around her than ever before.
It seems to be a habit of mine that whether or not Alunah actually have an album coming out that year, they make the list of most anticipated records. Well, Solennial will be out on March 17 via the aforementioned Svart, and preorders are up now, so this thing is definitely happening. I can only encourage you to dig in as Soph, fellow guitarist Dave Day, bassist Daniel Burchmore and drummer Jake Mason unfurl an initial taste of Alunah‘s fourth full-length, holding fast to crucial elements of their sound — even going so far as to reference Awakening the Forest in the lyrics — but showcasing immediate expansion as well in sound and approach. Holy crap I’m looking forward to this record. More than I already was.
Info and links follow the clip. Check it out and enjoy:
Alunah, “Fire of Thornborough Henge” official video
ALUNAH – FIRE OF THORNBOROUGH HENGE VIDEO AND SOLENNIAL PRE-ORDER
We have a double surprise for you. Today we would like to share our music video for ‘Fire of Thornborough Henge’ and also to inform you that pre-orders are now available for our upcoming album Solennial!
Solennial will be released on 17th March via Svart Records and pre-orders will be available up until 28th February. The first 100 orders from the Alunah store will receive a limited edition embroidered patch, and you can choose from limited edition bone white vinyl, black vinyl or digipak CD:http://www.official-alunah-store.co.uk/
We are playing the following UK dates in support of “Solennial.” A European tour to follow is currently being worked on.
Alunah live: Friday 31st March: The Chameleon, Nottingham Saturday 1st April: The Moon Club, Cardiff Thursday 6th April: The Flapper, Birmingham Friday 7th April: Bannermans, Edinburgh Saturday 8th April: Rebellion, Manchester Sunday 9th April: The Lounge, London
Posted in Whathaveyou on November 15th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
The challenge is not can I tell you how much I’m looking forward to the arrival of Alunah‘s fourth album, Solennial, but can I do it without gushing? Probably not. But you’ll have to indulge me. The UK four-piece have yet to put out a record that hasn’t stepped forward from its predecessors, and considering how far they took their sound with 2014’s Awakening the Forest (review here), that sets a pretty lofty marker for the new one. To meet it, the band has teamed up with producer Chris Fielding (Conan) at Skyhammer Studio, who has proven himself multiple times over a master at capturing tonal richness, and I frankly can’t wait to hear the results of that partnership.
There. Not too much gushing. Bottom line is I think the record’s gonna be awesome and I’m dying to hear it.
Alunah recently canceled some dates owing to a family matter — from their posts on the social medias it seemed like something that couldn’t be avoided — but they’ve rescheduled a UK run for the end of March and into April, and promise a European tour is forthcoming. I’m wondering if the timing couldn’t be a clue to a release date for Solennial as well, though honestly I’d rather not wait that long. In any case, they’ve got a new video in the works too, so we should get a sampling of the album hopefully sooner than later.
Because have I mentioned I’m looking forward to the album?
Here are the dates:
ALUNAH – SOLENNIAL UK TOUR
We are playing the following UK dates in support of “Solennial” which is out early next year on Svart Records. A European tour to follow is currently being worked on.
Friday 31st March: The Chameleon, Nottingham Saturday 1st April: The Moon Club, Cardiff Thursday 6th April: The Flapper, Birmingham Friday 7th April: Bannermans, Edinburgh Saturday 8th April: Rebellion, Manchester Sunday 9th April: The Lounge, London
Alunah is: Sophie Day – Vocals & Guitar David Day – Guitar Daniel Burchmore – Bass Jake Mason – Drums
Posted in Whathaveyou on September 27th, 2016 by JJ Koczan
UK heavy forest rockers Alunah are currently at Skyhammer Studios, embroiled in the process of putting to tape their fourth full-length, Solennial. Venerable purveyors Svart Records will release the album early next year as the follow-up to 2014’s excellent, why-don’t-I-just-go-ahead-and-put-it-on-right-now-okay-I-think-I-will Awakening the Forest (review here), which came out on Napalm, and if you’re not looking forward to hearing why Chris Fielding can bring to Alunah‘s tones, you’ve either never heard the band before, never heard one of his productions before, or both. This is one that will feature prominently on my 2017 most anticipated list. It’s already been on there for a while.
Art is by Adrian Baxter, and you’ll find that, the tracklist, and parts of a bio I wrote below, all filtered down through the PR wire:
ALUNAH UNLEASH FIRST DETAILS OF NEW ALBUM!
‘Solennial’ coming early 2017 on Svart Records!
Hailing from the English Midlands, its finest stoner doom outfit ALUNAH are finally back in the studio and have now unveiled first and exciting details about a brand new album, which is set to see the light of day in early 2017 on Finland’s cult label Svart Records!
The charismatic band with their nature inspired, psychedelic and doomish spirit are currently working in the Skyhammer Studios with CONAN’s Chris Fielding, to record their 4th studio album. But while they do, ALUNAH have now unleashed first and hotly anticipated details from their upcoming record titled ‘SOLENNIAL’!
Cover artwork by Adrian Baxter.
“Adrian Baxter is an artist that has been on our radar for a year or so, his work struck a chord with us as soon as we saw it and we just had to work with him. He took my lyrics and created a masterpiece which encompasses every theme and subject matter from “Solennial”, it was completed quite a while ago so we’re happy it is finally seeing the light of day. This week we will be heading up North to Skyhammer Studio to record the album with Chris Fielding; we always aim to try different things with our music but we’re stepping way outside of our comfort zone this time, in more ways than one. We are very proud of the songs and can’t wait for them to be released.” Vocalist & guitarist of Alunah, Sophie Day, comments.
The tracklist of Solennial will read as follows: 1. The Dying Soil 2. Light of Winter 3. Feast of Torches 4. The Reckoning of Time 5. Fire of Thornborough Henge 6. Petrichor 7. Lugh’s Assembly 8. A Forest
For 10 years, since first coming together back in 2006, Alunah have trafficked in a blend of the earthly and the unearthly. Over the course of their three albums – 2010’s Call of Avernus, 2012’s White Hoarhound and 2014’s Awakening the Forest – the four-piece have been a constant force of progression into an individualised take on psychedelic and organic heft. Their material has never lacked structure or groove, but with the melodic vocals of guitarist Sophie Day ever at the fore, they keep an eye toward the ethereal as well.
As they always do, Alunah are moving forward. Sophie, guitarist David Day, bassist Daniel Burchmore and drummer Jake Mason have just recently signed to Svart Records for the early 2017 release of their fourth album Solennial, which they are currently recording with Chris Fielding (Conan) at Skyhammer Studio, also owned by Conan’s Jon Davis. Following in the footsteps of Svart alums Hexvessel, or Jess and the Ancient Ones, Alunah arrive at Svart Records preceded by a reputation for blending nature worship and heavy vibes with a grace that few can match, basking in a sun-soaked spirit of beauty and decay, folklore and deeply personal expression.
Look for them to expand their sonic palette with their upcoming album Solennial, set to be released in early 2017 on Svart Records, and see them build on what they’ve accomplished before in their rich, engaging sound that seems to be always wandering and never, ever lost.
Alunah live: 20.10.2016 UK – London, Devonshire Arms 21.10.2016 NL – Tilburg, Little Devil 22.10.2016 NL – Into the Void Festival, Leeuwarden 28.10.2016 UK – The Coal Vaults, Coventry
