Aiwass will release their second album, The Falling, on Oct. 13 through King Volume Records. The Phoenix, Arizona-based atmospheric doom metal outfit began as a solo-project of multi-instrumentalist, vocalist and songwriter Blake Carrera with 2021’s Wayward Gods (review here) but toured this summer as a full band, just last week released a split with AAWKS, and last month added Eddy Keyes on bass as a seemingly permanent member; change is afoot. And fair enough, since Carrera‘s vision for what Aiwass will be and do is also expanding. With five songs running 40 minutes, Carrera — functioning alone in conjunction with engineer Edsel Holden and co-producer/mixer Grant Husselman, who’s best known for his work across multiple King Buffalo releases but has done plenty besides — guides the listener with a steady hand through a course of expansive heavy craft, beginning its world-creation with “Prometheus” (premiered below) featuring guest vocals from Niuvis Martin along with Carrera‘s own.

“Prometheus,” which takes its title from the Titan who gave fire to mortals and thus earned Zeus-decreed a daily disembowling from an eagle while tied to a rock — Heracles eventually let set him free — begins to explore the wash at which The Falling derives some of its fullest and strongest moments. In the later “Be Not a Man,” Carrera will turn that toward almost cultishly sinister ends with a mellow vocal laced with effects over organ, guitar, programmed drums, bass, and so on, but in “Prometheus” with Martin‘s voice added, the album is given an almost operatic beginning.

It is immersive to the point of the listener almost not realizing it’s being moved along by the drum sounds, and it smoothly glides through its eight and a half minutes with airiness of melody and density in the underlying heft. The subsequent “Gnosis” is bleakly psychedelic — a gray swirl — and uses open space fluidly with volume surges and a last build that’s masterfully executed, while centerpiece “The Light of Evil” feels more grounded in its procession. Maybe it’s the drumming more forward in the mix, or more clarity in the rumble beneath the organ of its chorus, or maybe it’s that chorus itself, but it’s a well-placed landmark around which The Falling can function. I’d call it the heart of the record, but the record is all heart. I’m sorry, but you don’t make this kind of music unless there’s something inside telling you that you need to do it.

The aforementioned “Be Not a Man” follows with apocalyptic overtones and vibrant lead work layered in along with its early chug, the wash in the chorus, and an organic stretch-out of doomly vibes, and closer “Crossing the Veil” begins with standalone acoustic strum and pluck, vaguely Western, but too trippy to be aping country. There’s a layer of maybe-ebow guitar and the vocals topping all this ambient breadth would call to mind “Planet Caravan” by rote, but “Crossing the Veil” moves into a march after two minutes — still acoustic — with organ and far-off drumming, keys, a chorus of voices almost in echo of “Prometheus” holding until right at the six-minute mark the song sweeps into a grandiose heavy rolling finish, with hard cymbal hits, a scorching guitar solo, and a payoff no less satisfying than the realization of ambitions has been throughout.

By the next time Aiwass puts out an album — hell, by the time Aiwass puts out this album — the band might have a completely different configuration around Carrera. That’s one more reason to appreciate the moment captured here, and the reach of the creativity brought to bear on The Falling, which no matter what follows will have built effectively on Wayward Gods and revealed a depth to Carrera‘s intention that is an accomplishment in itself, never mind the actual execution of the thing, which resides in a place between styles and is confident, poised and sincere there. A more than solid fit for King Volume‘s varied roster.

Please, feel free to stream the premiere of “Prometheus” while you peruse the PR wire info below, and please, enjoy:

Blake Carrera on “Prometheus”:

“Prometheus rise up from your lone grave”

The song “Prometheus” was born of pain, strife, and uncertainty. It is a reflection of one artist crying out his reality to the world. It is also a declaration of strength and resiliency before the avalanche of life. On a personal level, “Prometheus” is one of my greatest achievements as an artist, one that was helped massively by the contributions of Niuvis Martin (Amenorrhea) and my producer Grant Husselman, both of whom helped me put forward my nightmares into musical form.

As the first single off of a concept album focused on grief and strength, “Prometheus” is the foundation upon which The Falling resides. It is the setting of the play, the locus of invention, the spring from which the parched wanderer satiates their thirst. Unearthly voices mate with the crush of bombastic guitars to create a spell meant to transfix the listener, situating them in a world of discomfort and examination. I hope that, through my work, listeners are able to gain a better understanding of both myself and themselves.

Aiwass, the Aleister Crowley-obsessed psychedelic doom project out of the American Southwest, has stretched beyond the soul-shaking soundscapes of its highly revered debut album Wayward Gods to deliver The Falling, a genre-bending experience with towering riffs, heart-wrenching melodies, layered instrumentation, and meticulous attention to detail through King Volume Records on October 13.

Preorder link: https://www.kingvolume.com/

The Falling demonstrates marked growth in the Aiwass sound—a sonic tapestry that was already complex and mature enough to push 2021’s Wayward Gods to No. 11 on the Doom Charts upon release. In The Falling, Aiwass reaches further outside the psychedelic doom
template to incorporate influences from classical music, black metal, country, and other genres.

“When I started The Falling,” Aiwass founder and solo musician Blake Carrera says, “I felt like doom was getting played out. I didn’t want to be another copycat. I wanted to be me. As a result, this album is much more exploratory and experimental.”

In charge of capturing the new vision for Aiwass was Grant Husselman, the album’s co-producer and long-time King Buffalo collaborator. “This record wouldn’t have happened without Grant,” Carrera says. “When we first started collaborating, The Falling was raw and scattered, even though the ideas were there. He helped shape them and give them new depth and space. He gave me the belief in myself to push beyond what I created in my early demos.”

The Falling exhibits renewed confidence in Carrera’s songwriting, which was also partially sparked by experiences during the Aiwass 2022 summer tour with Twin Wizard. “Being on the road really helped me figure out what works and what doesn’t, and I started enhancing the things that people really responded to while we were on stage. They loved the bludgeoning choruses on Wayward Gods, so I double-downed on that in The Falling. But I also looked for opportunities to do something unexpected, like adding in acoustic guitar on songs like ‘Crossing the Veil.’”

With so many different influences, The Falling is a risky album—but it’s one that shines even more brightly because of it. The themes of Aleister Crowley and Thelema are still prominent, but they’re woven into lyrics that explore Carrera’s personal struggles and thoughts around mental illness, philosophy, and psychology. The album also features greater doses of black metal and new vocal harmonies—something Wayward Gods avoided.

The result is an innovative, jaw-rattling slab of layered harmonic doom that pushes the genre forward into new, exciting directions—becoming a complex album that should appeal to a wide variety of metal fans.

Aiwass – The Falling
Release Date: October 13, 2023
Label: King Volume Records
Runtime: 40:48

Additional Vocals: Niuvis Martin (“Prometheus”)
Mixing/Co-Producer: Grant Husselman
Engineering: Edsel Holden
Cover Art: Justyna Koziczak

Track List:
1. Prometheus
2. Gnosis
3. The Light of Evil
4. Be Not A Man
5. Crossing the Veil

Band: Blake Carrera – Vocals, Guitar, Bass, Drums

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Tags: Aiwass, Aiwass The Falling, King Volume Records, The Falling

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