From the ashes of local legends, Conifer and Ocean came a new experiment to enter the dark dimensions of the musical subconscious. The year was 2011, and new bands from Maine were popping up left and right, including aformentioned louder-than-hell brigade, Awaas. Now it's 2014, and Awaas, like any cool local band should, are calling it quits.
Almost two Sundays ago, Awaas took there music, set it on fire, and rode off into the sunset, (almost) literally. Awaas's final performance was a viking funeral through Casco Bay. While there may or may not have actually been fire aboard the Casablanca booze cruise, from the sound of things it was quite the burial at sea. As a fan of both music and boating, that is probably the most badass way to go out.
Along with the Casablanca Cruise being the final show for Awaas in Portland, it was also the birth of their cleverly titled new album, It's Great Dying. Whether or not the 'waas team knew they would be releasing the damn thing on their death bed, It's Great Dying is certainly their swan song.
Riddled with the instrument of choice circa 1983, the synthesizer, Awaas goes completely in direction not yet heard on It's Great Dying. It seems a bit risky at first, mixing their minimal approach heard on the 2011 self-titled EP with a much more prominent gothic to industrial pop feel. Still, even with the fond interest in the synth, Awaas retained that heaviness that I remember quite well last time I saw them (opening for Thee Silver Mt. Zion in Portland).
It's Great Dying is not like a lot of music being released these days. Coming from Awaas, this is no surprise to me. Awaas is not music you can easily define other than throwing out a few meaningless phrases like krautrock, electro, industrial, or drone with names like Swans, Lungfish, Bauhaus, and The Birthday Party. At the end of the day, Awaas is just Awaas - as cheesy as that may sound - you can't put a finger on something that doesn't have any guidelines or rules other being completely DIY and has the need for really loud synth.
Highlights: "A Simple Horror", "Big Fun", "Tiny Monsters", "Magnetic P.I.", "Cauterize", and the rest of the album.
Also, feel free to read more about Awaas and their final show via Post Mortem, here.
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