Alunah have been a fixture on the UK doom circuit for more than 15 years now, albeit with a few line-up changes along the way, but they still have a few new tricks up their wizard’s sleeve. Hailing from Birmingham, they appear to have Black Sabbath imprinted on their DNA. Those monolithic yet graceful riffs are still present and correct but on their sixth full-length album the band veer off at times on a more psychedelic trip.
The title-track kicks things off with a swirl of space-rock FX lifted straight from the saddle of Hawkwind’s Silver Machine before the expected elephantine riff lurches into view. There are still more surprise shifts on offer though, as they bring in a consciousness-expanding chant before reverting to the back-to-basics groove of Over The Hills.
Fade Into Fantasy ushers in more audio colours and floating atmospherics while singer Siân Greenaway, now fully ensconced in her role, gives full rein to her hugely impressive – and expressive – vocals. Psychedelic Expressway is an even bigger departure, with jangly ’60s acid-pop riffs and a jaunty flute that’s more Arthur Lee’s Love than Blood Ceremony.