So A while ago, I was having a crazy day and gardening was the main task at hand, but it was made all the better because El Jefe had sent me this promo and I was pretty anxious because of the “Black Metal meets Hawkwind” description in the press blurb.

The promo went straight to my unknown artist file and so the tracks are out of order. It’s a small gripe but it’s going to make this review a little less linear. So, all good in the neighborhood. Griping is over.

Track eight is where that Hawkwind connection is brought to fore with “My Will Made Manifest” 7:22 minutes of blow your fucking mind cosmic Black Metal, but that’s not all there is to it. At the 3:00 mark, they break into the soaring chorus. Holy shit it’s beautiful, they go full-on Wintersun for like, the whole midsection of the song; so you have Wintersun and Hawkwind fighting for dominance. It’s galloping one minute and then at 6:00 the blasting and keyboard harmonies come back for the remainder.

Evident here is that a lot of blood, sweat, and more blood went into the creation of this otherworldly giant following a 2-year hiatus. The drums blast over the keyboards, and the melody is hypnotic, matching the guitars in a battle for dominance. It’s a bit hard to find words to describe what is actually going on, it has to be experienced firsthand. That’s where you come in, constant reader.

Production wise, Reincarnation is clear as a funeral bell. Each instrument is a cog in this Catherine’s Wheel of destruction.

Aklash is; Vocals/ Guitar/ Violin/ Organ – Nico Millar, Guitars/ Flute/ Bouzouki/ Vocals – Yiannis Panou, Bass guitar/ Vocals – Chris Kendall, and Drums/ Percussion/ Synth/ Vocals- Marco Silva. Then the host of guests include: Oboe and Recorder – Marina Bowden (“Communion With Ghosts”), Accordion – David Martin (“Cossack”), Guest Divebomb – Kieran Dawes (“Babylon”), Bulgarian Voice Over – Yana Vlaeva (“Kaval”). Some massively talented people contributed to this album and I want to give all involved a huge shout-out because those elements were vital to the creation of Reincarnation.

Track seven “Caravanserai” is a beautiful, folk-inspired butterfly, and that’s not knocking anything before you call bullshit on my choice of description.  Delicate chimes and a peaceful sense of being is created here. Amongst the brutality of the rest of the album, it’s a delightful respite.

“Kaval” is what would happen if Iron Maiden went Black Metal for an album… actually, when I think about it there are a few moments in Reincarnation that I hear the ghost of early Iron Maiden (think Powerslave and Piece of Mind era) that’s not a bad thing at all. The chorus and clean vocals show up more and make it an enjoyable track, uplifting in a sinister sort of way.

The riffs are on savage point on this album. “Cossack” is another foray to the castle ramparts, blasting away to battle. This is only a segue into a galloping, mid-paced spear to the chest before the blast comes back in force. At the 3:45 mark there are some sky-reaching solos and it makes such a strong impression, that once again; it needs to be experienced.

“Sapphires and Garlic” is a 37-second interlude and then it’s time for the single track “Babylon” with its triumphant gang vocals shouting the title while the drums rage like a storm behind them; the clean vocals mixing with harsh to create a tsunami of brutality.

“Communion with Ghosts” how to describe it? The heavy Primordial influence of Where Greater Men Have Fallen sneaks it’s way into the rhythm, sure and precisely, and maybe I’m the only one hearing it. The blasts kick in around the 6:00 point, pushing the track to it’s stellar end.

The title track, “Reincarnation” bursts in with menacing riffing, gang vocals punching after the chord changes, and then it turns into this traditional NWOBHM right before another salvo of blast beats and that’s just half of the song. Soon enough it slips back to a sort of Running Wild midsection where the harmonized solo takes place, it’s like a pillar of fire reaching for the heavens. It ends on some light keys and I think there’s a flute in there somewhere. Then, sadly, it ends… but in reverse because I just reviewed it backward. Movies do it all the time, it’s perfectly legal.

Do I love this album? Yes, a million times yes. Reincarnation is a massive achievement; at one point go for the throat Black Metal and the next pulling out heartfelt riffs and soundscapes that take your mind to other places beyond our mundane dimension. Aklash have created a mighty fourth album, and I will be checking out their other albums after this.

If you enjoy Wintersun, Borknagar, Enslaved, Primordial, and epic NWOBHM solos (plus Hawkwind) you need this in your ears. It’s the perfect alarm to start the day!

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