Vajra - 2026 - Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun [Pompeii Reimagining]

(6:52, Vajra)






















It is very rare indeed for me to review singles these days, just because I don’t have the time, but when I saw that the latest release from progressive metal/art rock act Vajra was a new version of the Pink Floyd classic I knew I had to give it a try. The band have been around for quite a while, but do not appear to have been the most active on the release front and I do believe there has only been one album to date, and that was all the way back in 2012, but I certainly hope this track is going to change that as this is quite something.

The line-up is Annamaria Pinna (vocals), Dave Sussman (guitar), Sahaj Ticotin (bass) and Jimmy DeMarco (drums) and the best way of describing their sound is as if Inkubus Sukkubus were combining atmospheric ethereal prog rock with their Gothic overtones, all wrapped up in Annamaria’s vocals, who is strangely similar to Candia. This is a powerful and emotive version of the original and is so different that in many ways it is difficult to compare the two and is surely one of the best Floyd covers I have ever heard. 

Kev Rowland, April 2026

Links:
https://www.thevajratemple.com/

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