The doom/stoner rock genre - heavily influenced by the hippy few that came up with ponderous snoring and echoing guitar sounds in the sixties and seventies - has made a ravishing comeback in recent years, with the Dutch Roadburn festival as yearly occult high mass. Napalm Records also signs bands of that ilk continually. They present us now Alunah, a quartet hailing from Birmingham (where Black Sabbath was born) with their third studio album 'Awakening The Forest'. The wood ghosts have done their work properly; the six lengthy compositions are true ear candy. By the way, they entered the studio with Esoteric guru Greg Chandler. This assures us of a not too marshy, yet heavy as molten lead sound. Earlier this quartet - with married couple Sophie and David Day in their ranks - drew some attention with 'Call Of Avernus' (2010) and 'White Hoarhound' (2012). They shared the stage with bands such as The Sword, High On Fire, Orange Goblin and The Wounded Kings. Due to female vocals they hold the means between the latter one and Avatarium, but in the end Alunah (founded in 2006 and until 2008 called Aluna) can be labelled as traditional doom metal with bluesy overtones. The slightly psychedelic aureole, the relaxed, nearly sultry vocals of Sophie and the slow pace prevail in all of the songs, but the true charm of Alunah is that they regale their compositions - varying from six till nine minutes long - with sophisticated twists and turns and intermezzos that draw your attention. Bas intermezzos with interaction of drums, vibrating soloing that really come from the heart and the art of working towards climaxes are moments that you realize that Alunah has more than average talents. This is completely utilized all the time, that's why 'Awakening The Forest' turns into a delicious listening experience from start to finish. No dull monotony with these tree surgeons (according to the title), only an empyrean slowing down from hectic life on the sounds of their captivating music. This hovercraft experience through doom land can be highly recommended!