Martyr Of Alexandria is the third full length from Dave Read and Arlen Thompson’s Nanaimo, BC Canada-based Anunnaki. If Heavy Psych Spacerock is a thing then this is it. From the get-go, this release is a sonic trip to hell and back. Pounding drums, relentless bass throbs, and assorted distorted effects. There’s a whole lot of mythology that goes along with this trip but honestly, it’s an instrumental work, aside from the brief intros to each of the three pieces presented, so much of that flies right over my head. But reading the description of the release and its intent helps put things in perspective. I think the word I may be looking for to describe the sound is a maelstrom. While the first two tracks hit hard and fast my favorite has to be the slowed down epic “The Cries of Hypatia” the methodical slowly pounding drum beat with the heavenly voices painting a rather bleak picture of despair. It’s heavy without being overly heavy. The sound doesn’t get buried under crazy guitars which isn’t to say there isn’t a lot of noise guiding us through. A balanced mix of electronics, distorted bass, and drums are the primary movers of sound here. If you were a fan of their earlier LP “Immanentize The Eschaton” Then this is going to be right up your alley.
Released by NoiseAgonyMayhem in Canada and Cardinal Fuzz(UK) I believe the vinyl is sold out in most places but I did see some available on Little Cloud‘s page
