Review & Video Premiere: Alunah & Samavayo, Embers of Belief
Alunah and Samavayo release their split LP, Embers of Belief, on June 5 through Heavy Psych Sounds. I’m honestly not sure what brought the UK doom rockers and Germany-based crunch riff (I had a typo there that said ‘brunch riff’ and I almost left it, because that rules) together, but in a universe of infinite possibility, it could’ve been a show, a bunch of shows, a random online outreach or the fact that both bands have been actively kicking around the underground for the last 20 years or more — Alunah celebrate two decades in 2026, Samavayo marked the 20th anniversary of their first LP last year — and they hadn’t yet gotten to collaborate.
The shape of the thing is thus: Alunah present four tracks. The first two of them, “On Blacklow Hill” and the French-lyric “La Pucelle,” are studio-born, while “Hazy Jane” and “Violet Hour/Hunt” were recorded live. Samavayo answer back with three pieces of their own, including the makes-your-arm-hair-stand-up melodic surge of prior single “Bavar,” the shorter
twister/shover “Mottainai” and the nine-minute semi-acoustic sprawler “California Sky,” which premieres on the player below. They’re in and out in a tidy seven songs and 41 minutes.
Whatever the occasion, both bands make it an occasion. For Alunah, “On Blacklow Hill” and “La Pucelle” are especially crucial as they represent the studio debut of the band’s third vocalist, Daisy Savage, whose melodic delivery both sustains a thread that’s been an important part of Alunah‘s sound through all their personnel shifts, and feels particularly suited to the swing of the split’s opener while laying claim in “La Pucelle” to something that, to my knowledge, the band haven’t done before, putting a song even partially in a language besides English. Both studio pieces are comfortably paced for groove, and the “Burn the witch” hook in “La Pucelle” seems to harken to earlier days in terms of theme.
Rawer as they would inevitably be, the live tracks feel like they’re there to bolster the declaration Alunah are making of the Savage-fronted lineup, and the new vocalist shows no sign of trouble carrying those melodies or adding flourish to them. Like their studio counterparts, they sound formative, like a beginning, and one hopes that the band continue to grow together in chemistry as they push forward. This is them doing that work, and the results are encouraging.
None of Samavayo‘s three inclusions was recorded live on stage, but to the certain surprise of nobody who’s heard the band, their brash energy holds steady as the tense beginning of “Bavar” unfolds with a rhythm and melody informed by founding guitarist/vocalist Behrang Alavi‘s Iranian background. The embrace of this cultural influence over time has made Samavayo more distinctive in the European underground, certainly, but also so much richer in sound, and able to harness a space in their work that “Bavar” puts to near-perfect use, propulsive but stately and marked later by lead guitar topping the bombastic crash before they turn back to the taut muted ticks of the intro before the last engrossing shove.
Hilariously, “Mottainai” kind of does the 
same thing, but in three minutes instead of eight. Okay, the lyrics aren’t in Farsi, but if you’re looking for progressive rhythmic and melodic intricacy, plus a banger riff, it’s an easy pick, and they drive the point home with a catchy chorus. “California Sky” reaches almost to 10 minutes and is a post-Kyuss desert mellowing introduced by digeridoo, set to a theme born of the band’s first US appearances in 2025, a tour they began at Planet Desert Rock Weekend V, where I was fortunate enough to see them (review here). Likewise sincere and dug-in, it feels like a meditation on time and place even as it removes you from your own.
The video for “California Sky” has footage from that tour — apparently Alavi was just filming the entire time? also, hi, Manu! — and perhaps you’ll notice the subtle narrative of landscapes that takes them from city to desert to ocean on their journey. Clearly a powerful experience for the band, and a potent homage in song as well.
Look, I like both these bands, so maybe I’m not an impartial observer here, but between Alunah daring to dip back to initial stages and start again with a new singer and Samavayo‘s compositional reach, I hear nothing that’s going to keep this from my list of favorite short releases of 2026 when year-end time comes. It captures both acts at fascinating (if you’re the right kind of nerd) moments in their respective ongoing progressions, and I come out of “Violet Hour/Hunt” and “California Sky” curious about where both are headed. I’m not sure what more you could possibly ask of two bands who have over 45 years of righteous experience between them than to keep their audience guessing.
Maybe it’s a stop on the way for the bands, but isn’t that what landmarks are?
PR wire info follows the video below. As always, I hope you enjoy:
Samavayo, “California Sky” video premiere
This spring, Heavy Psych Sounds Records is pairing two outstanding acts from the heavy scene, with this one-off split album combining the firepower of Birmingham hard rock pillars ALUNAH and Berlin stoner rockers SAMAVAYO. On Side A, Alunah unveil their first studio material with new vocalist Daisy Savage, blending swagger-laden riff-rock and epic NWOBHM grit, plus two live recordings celebrating their 20th anniversary. Side B sees Samavayo delivering three new fuzzy earworms driven by compelling vocal melodies, sharp riffing and their signature oriental touch. Punchy, rocking and exhilarating!
Release date: June 5th
ALBUM PRESALE
https://heavypsychsounds.com/band/roster/alunah/
Alunah are:
Daisy Savage – Vocals
Matt Noble – Guitar
Dan Burchmore – Bass
Jake Mason – Drums
Samavayo are:
Behrang Alavi – Vocals, Guitar
Arno Voland – Drums, Vocals, Didgeridoo, Percussions
Andreas Voland – Bass, Guitar, Vocals, Moog
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Tags: Alunah, Alunah Samavayo Embers of Belief, Berlin, Birmingham, Embers of Belief, Germany, Heavy Psych Sounds, Samavayo, UK
