Juniper Grave – Of Hellions And Harridans

[schema type=”review” name=”Juniper Grave – Of Hellions And Harridans ” description=”Label: Wasted State Records” author=”Başak Günel” pubdate=”2018-12-07″]

My fellow occult rock lovers! Meet Juniper Grave, the Scottish ‘witch rock’ formation. After honing their craft performing live rites in support of Witchsorrow, Slough Feg, Dystopian Future Movies & Church Of The Cosmic Skull, the band has unleashed their debut album “Of Hellions and Harridans” upon the earth.  Just when I was getting bummed about not having heard any decent release within this genre this year, “Of Hellions and Harridans” surprised me and gave me my occult rock fix… just the perfect timing! There is a nice harmony of the psych and the 60s/70s occult elements from the beginning to the end. The eerie & psych keys as well as the vocals especially got me hooked to this release right from the start; that’s where the essence of this band lies. The record is not over-the-top or rushed but there is a natural flow to it, making this a smooth one to listen to.

One tricky aspect of the occult rock & psych genre is that it’s hard to bring something new to the scene and that seems to be the struggle with “Of Hellios and Harridans” despite the pros of it. Those who are familiar with the genre will probably hear and feel familiar melodies or influences from the known names in the scene. However, the band definitely shows potential and even delivers a bit of diversity in this release, which we discover towards the end. So it’s definitely worth keeping an eye on Juniper Grave in the future. For now, give this release a try and brighten up your winter mood!

Highlights: The Forest, Daughter of the Waves

Line-up:
Jenni – lead vocals and organ
Shonagh – guitar and backing vocals
Sarah – bass and backing vocals
Jason – drums

Tracklist: 1. The Forest 2. A Trick Of The Light 3. Daughter Of The Waves 4. The Bridge Between Worlds 5. Dance of the Daemon Queen 6. Lunar Calling 7. Rest With Your Dead (Faoiltighearna)

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