Monster Riff is absolutely honored to premiere the incredible new collaborative single from Blake Carrera (Aiwass) and Drew Patricks (ASTRAL CONstruct).
But before we get to the epic song packed with massive riffs, stunning vocals, and psychedelic soundscapes, let’s talk about the composers.
About Blake Carrera of Aiwass
Blake Carrera is the founding member of Aiwass, a Phoenix-based Psychedelic Doom band inspired by the Occult and praised for its earth-rattling death marches and spine-tingling riffs.
After releasing the immaculate His Name Was Aiwass EP as a solo project, Carrera then recorded the spellbinding Wayward Gods, five songs of hellish atmospheric Doom and heartbreaking solos.
Many of Carrera’s songs are noteworthy for their pummeling delivery, riding the bass and drums as a ferocious, focused attack that shakes you to your core.
About Drew Patricks of ASTRAL CONstruct
Drew Patricks is the Colorado Springs-based solo artist behind ASTRAL CONstruct, a project that produced the incredible Tales of Cosmic Journeys in June of this year.
As its title suggests, Tales of Cosmic Journeys is a Psychedelic Space Rock album mixed with Prog tendencies and the occasional fuzz of Stoner Rock. A one-of-a-kind masterpiece, Tales of Cosmic Journeys is one album that truly feels like a Space Rock adventure, with every riff, solo, beat, and decision around tone feeling absolutely intentional.
And while ASTRAL CONstruct is an instrumental project, Patricks proves himself a gifted storyteller, relying on instrumentation and colorful song titles to guide the narration over an entire album.
‘Solis in Stellis’ Song Review
Without further delay, here’s the immaculate “Solis in Stellis”:
“Solis in Stellis” opens with that signature ASTRAL CONstruct guitar tone, but rides upon an Aiwass drum beat. Eventually, that composition builds until it transitions into a powerful marching delivery that sounds much like an Aiwass classic.
When Blake Carrera’s layered vocals appear, the song quickly slips back into ASTRAL CONstruct territory, with the spacey, atmospheric guitars carrying us beyond the Milky Way.
And this is how much of the song progresses: alternating seamlessly between two incredible soundscapes until the song’s outro, where we find churning, swirling guitars much in the mode of ASTRAL CONstruct. Here, we find beautifully cosmic and hypnotic guitar battle until the song fades away.
A Song With A Purpose
Sadly, and as we discuss in the Monster Riff Presents episode below, Blake Carrera’s mother recently passed away from complications brought on by Scleroderma, an autoimmune disease that hardens the body’s organs.
In honor of Blake’s mother, every dollar spent on “Solis in Stellis” will be donated directly to the Scleroderma Foundation, a nonprofit organization built to support patients and their families, educate the public and health professionals about the disease, and research treatments and cures for Scleroderma.
So, please, consider buying the song on Bandcamp to support the Scleroderma Foundation.
Learn More About the Collaboration
To learn more about the collaboration, check out this episode of Monster Riff Presents:
Follow Aiwass and Astral Construct
To support Blake Carrera and Drew Patricks even further, check them out on Instagram (@aiwassband, @astralconstructproject), Facebook (Aiwass, ASTRAL CONstruct), and Bandcamp (Aiwass, ASTRAL CONstruct).