If you’re searching for crushing grooves and celestial fire from Canada’s heaviest mystics, then look no further than the forthcoming album, On Through the Sky Maze (May 2nd) by AAWKS. On Through The Sky Maze doesn’t so much open a door as it rips a wormhole through space and ritual. Across nine blistering tracks, the Barrie, Ontario quartet brings a commanding sense of motion, mystery, and menace by carving their own twisted path through the stoner-psych realm.
While On Through the Sky Maze may be built on tension and release with its massive riffs that are built for low-end worship, there is also a theatrical streak running through the chaos. AAWKS knows how to stack textures without losing the grip on the groove, and that’s what makes the album hit so hard. “Celestial Magick” is a prime example. The six minutes of Norse-inspired dread and destruction balances swirling melody with a hammer-swinging force.
On the song, guitarist and vocalist Kris Dzierzbicki said,
“We wanted to create something that felt timeless yet immediate.”
And it shows. The song feels both ancient and wired, like a seance transmitted through tube amps.
The album’s heavier direction comes partly from new bassist/vocalist Ryan “GrimePup” Mailman, whose raw presence beefs up the low-end while adding grit to the vocals. You hear this clearly on “Death Trip (Naglfar),” a violent and unrelenting ride that throws one into the belly of mythological catastrophe. It’s not just heavy. It’s cinematic chaos with intent.
Tracks like “Lost Dwellers” and “Sky Maze” show AAWKS refining their layering and pacing. Instead of overloading the senses, they let the guitars breathe and swirl by bringing in synths, Hammond organ, and even violins to flesh out their arcane vision. With longtime anchors of the band’s core sound, guitarist Roberto Paraíso and drummer Randy Babic handle the shifts with ease by providing both the backbone and the weird.
There’s also a notable upgrade in production. Jesse Haradine and Kris Dzierzbicki give the album teeth without sanding it down too smoothly, while mastering from Noah Mintz and Zack Horvath makes sure every cymbal crash and bass bomb lands with impact. It’s tight where it needs to be, but it doesn’t lose the grit that makes this kind of heavy psych tick.
What ultimately makes On Through The Sky Maze so satisfying is how lived-in it feels. It’s the sound of a band that has taken their obsessions of occult lore, supernatural dread, and riff worship and fed them through a focused and evolving vision. From the artwork by Deleriavision to the guest contributions, notably Ian Ross’ molten solos and Dan Trickett’s eerie organ work, this record is full of details that deepen with every listen. AAWKS doesn’t just play heavy psych. They build worlds with it and On Through The Sky Maze is their most confident leap yet into the beyond.
Pre-order On Through the Sky Maze
EDITOR’S NOTE: artist stylises their name, album, and/or songs, in lowercase or uppercase letters
