THE SUN AWAKENS

On this album Ben Chasny has a league of helpers with him, and the end result is another fine contemplative psychedelic album.

Amplified but undistorted guitar, bass and drums start it with a joyful and calm "wolf" theme, which is reprised later, resembling "Peace"-shorites from King Crimson "In The Wake of Poseidon" album by the sound and style of distributing through the record. "Bless Your Blood" continues the peaceful flow of music with slightly similar qualities as Popol Vuh's music contains. Narrative vocals visit the scene, which later gains some height with echo treatments and tender increase of pressure, giving associations of Jade Warrior's music. In the song "Black Wall" acoustic guitar drives the tune, which is accompanied by electric guitar and singing. The melody has a hypnotic garage rock style little similar of 13th Floor Elevators music. Then rhythmic guitar drives "The Desert is A Circle" song, which has also electric guitar solo melody lines, accompanied with some effects, synths and voices. The melody sounds quite European, and the song has a folk-rock feeling in it. In "Attar" drums roll the rhythm to the hypnotic mantra for acoustic guitar with stinging acid rock guitar solo.

Then, the main track for me here is the nearly twenty-four minute's long epic song "River of Transfiguration". It starts without hurry with long distant mystical sounds and a hovering mechanical humming, where the band starts to carefully contribute. This track defines to me that this project of Ben is a trademark promise of very talented quiet ambiences, where much is not happening, but which are still interesting and pleasant to listen. The chanting vocal melody theme creates very dramatic tension to the song, which shimmers like an indescribable holy statue of a god. The distorted guitar wall and restlessness of the drummer escalates in behind, creating a long wave which is the dramatic highlight and essence of this minimalistic song, returning finally to the stagnant presence of both radiant echoed sounds and archaic human chanting voices, ending an album which is recommended warmly for fans of spiritual and mystical music.