Sigiriya – Maiden Mother Crone – Album Review
Trance-inducing mountain rock.....
We’re a little late to the ball when it comes to Mother Maiden Crone, the third album from Welsh riff-mongers Sigiriya which was released digitally back in January 2020 via Burning World Records. Fortunately, being late isn’t as bad as not turning up at all and when it comes to this outstanding slab of stoner metal we’re more than happy we finally caught up with it!
Having formed from the ashes of the much missed Acrimony, Mother Maiden Crone is perhaps not as ‘doomy’ an album as you’d expect but there’s still more than a few nods to the past (unsurprising considering much of the band were formerly in the Welsh Wizards ranks) and, before settling into a muscular groove, opening track, “Mantis” warmly kicks off with a slightly mid 90’s alternative feel which nostalgically recalls the bands past.
Next up comes “Cwn Annwn” and Mr Pipes really excels himself here, with his gruff but still highly melodic delivery bringing to mind Crowbar’s Kirk Windstein at his most accessible while “Peace Of My Mind” proves to be an up-tempo rocker built upon great big rolling riffs and is a dead cert to get heads-a-banging whenever Sigiriya get the chance to grace a stage again.
Maiden Mother Crone then finishes with two of its finest (and longest) tracks with “Arise (Darkness Died Today)” beginning in mournful fashion – evoking fond memories of mid 90s British doom at its finest – with Matt Williams unleashing another impassioned vocal performance. “Crashed Under The Weight Of The Sky” then lives up to its name with Stu O’Hara dropping a planet-shifting riff that threatens to bring down the heavens before another sublime chorus kicks in and tempers the heaviness. Musically, this track sees the band veer from lead heavy to a subtle reverb-drenched psychedelia, while doffing its cap to the southern California desert rock scene, and finishes the album on a real high note!
In a year which has already seen an abundance of great releases in the stoner/doom scene, with Mother Maiden Crone Sigiriya have marked themselves out as genuine contenders and a considerable force to be reckoned with. 9/10
Nip on over to bandcamp and grab a copy!
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