Alconaut: Endless Skies

From Bastia, Corsica, France we have Alconaut! Formed in 2016, this independent three-piece stoner/sludge/doom troop is largely influenced by the likes of Sleep, Fu Manchu and The Sword. Other notable comparisons include Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath. Endless Skies is their second full-length studio release which follow’s 2019’s Sand Turns to Tide.

Their debut tended to be rooted in a blend of modern stoner/sludge/doom with 60’s/70’s psychedelic and hard rock. However, there were also shades of Motorhead, Iron Maiden and some acoustic folk rock thrown in. Although a decent effort, this felt to me like more of a feeling out process in terms of style and direction.

Crank up the fuzz (until you can smell it) and enter Endless Skies! This album feels like they’ve come much more into their own and narrowed the stylistic focus, whilst still retaining some 60’s and 70’s stoner elements-mostly with the use of organ throughout and occasional harmonica.

Georges Agostini’s vocals vary from a gruff, drone-like-yelling to a cleanish-styled moaning-wail. His guitar riff work is great -mostly mid-paced with some ebbs and flows. Some are loose and jammy, some crushing and powerful, some raunchy and bluesy. These are complemented by a lot of cool melodic leads over the top. The solos aren’t jaw-dropping, but they are effective, authentic and a perfect fit for the music. There are a lot of subtle interesting things happening here.

As for the rhythm section, Antoine-Joseph Marini’s drum work is a highlight for me. It is interesting and adds a lot. He pushes the riffs that are kind of slogging through the swamp forward and unleashes some Black Sabbath-esque fury when the tempo kicks up a notch. Kevin Albertini’s bass is solid and steady throughout.

"Slugs" kicks off the album in fine style. After the opener "Causality", which is just a sustained chord played by bass, organ and guitar feedback-more an intro in function, "Slugs" features saturated, fuzz-drenched riffs with long hits of organ and several tempo changes.

"Lost" has an early Black Sabbath vibe to it. "Gelmir’s Path" comes across as sort of a 'The Sword meets ZZ Top'. While in "Icarus Down", Icarus doesn’t seem to fall, rather the guitars seem to be pulling him down from the sky and dragging him through the mud.

The highlight of the album for me, however, is easily "The Ascending Trilogy" (tracks 4-6). These collectively clock in at 17+ minutes. "Part I: The Departure" is more subdued and mellow than the others. It feels like taking one final walk and saying farewell before embarking on a journey of no return (yet having a tinge of optimism about it). "Part II: Journey" is absolutely epic. It kind of slow builds for about the first half of it, establishing a great groove which then culminates in a melodic eruption- it isn’t the same as "WarPigs", but the listening effect is similar when the song enters that iconic melodic shift. "Part III: Endless Skies" has a cool harmonica solo and strong backing organ give a lifting effect to the ending.

Overall, I really enjoy this. I like the artwork and the production. And the fuzz-saturated, beefy, bluesy, riff-laden jams. A good trip!

Favorite Tracks:
Slugs, Ascending: I, II (overall favorite) & III, Icarus Down, Gelmir’s Path

Lineup:
Georges Agostini (guitar, harmonica, vocals)
Kevin Albertini (bass guitar)
Antoine-Joseph Marini (drums)

Additional Credits:
Antoine-Joseph Marini (artwork)
Vincenzu Lota (recording, mixing, mastering)

Release Date: May 12, 2023
Label: Independent (self-released)
Length: 42.5 minutes (9 tracks)

Track Listing:

1. The Casualty [0:20]
2. Slugs [5:56]
3. Lost [6:28]
4. Ascending I: The Departure [3:45]
5. Ascending II: Journey [7:56]
6. Ascending III: Endless Skies [6:19]
7. Icarus Down [5:08]
8. Gelmir’s Path [4:12]
9. Earthbound [2:26]

Added: May 10th 2023
Reviewer: David Kern
Score:
Related Link: Band @ Bandcamp
Hits: 1403
Language: english

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