It’s going to be a very different picture since Siân Blu Greenway who has been with the band, Alunah for seven years, embarking on the next chapter in her life, focusing on her glam rock project Bobbie Dazzle. Taking in over in the role of guitarist / vocalist Sophie Day, she had released two studio albums (Violet Hour and Strange Machine) with the band and one EP (Amber & Gold). Her third and final album with the band is entitled Fever Dream.
And what a way to go out with a big bang on her final album with Alunah released on the Heavy Psych Sounds label. This is a unique kind of way to give Siân, a proper send-off with Alunah. From the rumbling, revved-up drive down to the next beginning on ‘Never Too Late’, with a little help from Wucan vocalist Francis Tobolsky, it gives Matt Noble a chance to bring in those insane arpeggiated textures and brutal-like riffs he endures on his guitar. He’s not only channeling the styles of Sabbath, but bits and pieces from the doubling guitar textures of Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, and Dennis Stratton on Iron Maiden’s first two albums.
It does have an A.O.R. / N.W.O.B.H.M. momentum that comes to mind that Noble carries for a brief moment as he heads back down to Earth once more. Meanwhile, Alunah travels to the world of The Grand Wazoo’s territory, walking into the Over-Nite Sensation-era, and singing in the style from the final section of ‘I Am The Slime’, before they are greeted to meet, the ‘Trickster of Time’ while heading down into a deep silence for a mournful, waltzy arrangement, after waking up from a hypnotic, yet hallucinating title-track.
The eastern arrangements behind ‘Sacred Grooves’ gives Noble and the rhythm section, a chance to go into this meditated guide, then changing into a rising chorus to give Greenway, a moment to spread her wings, and fly across the country. As she flies around the globe, she gets out her flute, honouring both Ray Thomas and Ian Anderson by going into this ‘Celestial’ dream, with a Blood Ceremony vibe.
Meanwhile, on ‘Far From Reality’, Alunah does something incredible. They start off with a swinging groove thanks to the shuffling arrangement the rhythm section does, by making Siân, putting on a tuxedo, and a top hat.
Not only she’s singing in this vaudevillian approach, but dancing in the styles of Fred Astaire while rolling down those beats to make sure her flute is in perfect condition. She has that jazzy-like structure near the final section of the song before closing it out with Aaron B. Thompson’s nod to Vince Guaraldi for ‘I’ve Paid the Price’.
It starts out with an epic-like attack of the gods with a clashing vibration the band does before it starts to calm down to see Greenway looking up to the sky, knowing how far she’s come and giving one last hurrah in this heavy rockin’ turned gospel-like approach in the chorus, Greenway sees the sun in all of its glory and begins to make the jump to light speed and singing in the styles of Pavlov’s Dog’s David Sukramp in the climax.
Alunah have done it again. It’s quite a surprise to see this band, push and pull to make Fever Dream, an enjoyable album by making the compositions, stronger than before. There’s not a single bad track on here.
As I’ve mentioned in my introduction, it’s going to be very interesting to see where Alunah will go next in the post-Greenway universe. And who knows what the direction the band’s music will be, but we got to experience the Fever Dream in all of its glory.
