Release: 05/11/2021

We already introduced Blake Carrera‘s band Aiwass to you last year on our blog. So I’ll spare myself a longer introduction here and refer you to our interview with the artist from Flagstaff, Arizona.

Wayward Gods is the first full-length under the name Aiwass – after six singles and an EP. Blake recorded the entire album alone, only on “From Chains“ does a second musician appear, guitarist Vinny Taubner. Numerous black metal artists have impressively proven in the recent past that one-man projects can produce extraordinary releases. Blake may, at the latest now, be mentioned in the same breath as the latter: Wayward Gods is an extremely impressive record.

Dirty, doomy riffs are at the centre. Thanks to the heavily distorted guitars, stoner fans will also get their money’s worth. Listeners who prefer classic doom will presumably feel less addressed. However, Aiwass also challenges the former group, as psychedelic rock is another important ingredient in the sound. The vocals resonate from afar – and, it may be due to my Pink Floyd socialisation, immediately transport me to 1967, when a certain Syd Barrett created the most colourful and trippy music that existed at the time.

Although the songs are all characterised by repetitive structures, they remain exciting throughout. Wayward Gods is hypnotic and otherworldly. Whoever wants to escape from everyday life at present is invited here to a long, dark and highly emotional trip. I can’t imagine this intense record leaving anyone cold…

Conclusion: Aiwass stands for entirely individual, completely uncommercial music that is aimed at listeners who take their time. Insofar as you do, you can dive very deep and explore abysses that you might not even want to be confronted with. But the latter is, at least according to my understanding, the core of real art, isn’t it?

Performance: 83%
Songwriting: 85%
Creativity: 90%
Variety: 82%
Entertainment: 85%
OVERALL: 85%