Tiwanaku

Tiwanaku are a super group comprising metal authorities like the guitar player Emo Mowery (Nocturnus, Leash Law, etc.), the vocalist Wade Black (Leatherwolf, Seven Witches, Crimson Glory, etc.), and the drum guru Richard Christy (Death, Control Denied, Iced Earth, etc.). They emerged at the dawn of the new millennium, right in time to welcome the next alien delegation from out of space… kidding of course, but the extraterrestrial concept pursued here must have been brought by Mowery since his previous band Nocturnus were deeply immersed in very similar topics. Music-wise this is not an exact continuation of the Nocturnus’ sound, though, as there’s a very tangible presence of classic thrash. The delivery is still pretty complex and technical as a very characteristic trait is the vocal duel between the deathy rasps of Mowery and the clean high-strung vocals of Black.

The guys obviously intended this gathering as a side-project which sadly produced very little. However, the 4-tracker reviewed here should by all means be more widely known. It begins with an “Illusion”, though, which still unleashes a fury of wild technical death metal and the Nocturnus fans will brace themselves for another experience along the lines of their favourites, sounding way more intense than the timid explorations of “Ethereal Womb”; the intricate deathy madness carries on with Black’s wails added to the cannonade to “bother” Mowery’s brutal rendings and also bring the winds of speed/thrash as well as a couple of slower, pounding passages.

“Magnacore” is a technical thrash shredder of the highest order with more dramatic death metal build-ups the vocal duel now fully epitomized adding nicely to the drama which acquires doomy proportions in the middle. “Shockwaves” has an alluring quiet beginning with some great guitar work which grows into a fast-paced thrashy skirmish the latter enriched with brilliant melodic leads later alongside an imposing keyboard-infused section. “What If” elaborates on the keyboard themes for a start, this stroke mutating into a ballad with Black pulling out standout performance; heavy mid-paced thrashing follows suit in its turn replaced by speedy death metalisms and atmospheric, again keyboard-ornated, additives those great reminders of Nocturnus’ early days.

This spell could have been developed into a sequel to the Nocturnus saga with a twist, and the time couldn’t have been more appropriately chosen as the retro metal canons were coming back with full force. And the guys were more than willing to go with the flow, albeit under a very different guise; the entire Tiwanaku line-up appeared a year later under the name Leash Law. The style had shifted towards old school American power metal and was another promising start with an EP and a full-length released in 2004. Alas, this formation didn’t last very long, either, and the band members went their separate ways. Mowery made an attempt to resurrect Tiwanaku in 2009 with different musicians, but apart from a solitary single (“Today in Battle”) this new incarnation has failed to produce any new material. The band are still active, and I’m sure that Mowery hasn’t finished yet with his stylish odes to the stars and their mysterious inhabitants; maybe he’s waiting for another visitation… sorry, inspiration from somewhere up there.