Astronoid - Astronoid Review

Around 2 years ago, a younger man, just beginning to discover music on his own, came across a "Best Metal of 2016" list on the internet. He looked at his computer screen and saw many dark, gloomy album covers, with corresponding bleak titles to match. However, one album particularly caught his eye in this list. This was the release with a bright, but humble cover, and an even simpler name; Air. Among a list of gritty underground black metal bands and muddy death metal, this album looked accessible for a newbie listener, from not only its presentation and label but also the quirky and fun name of the band that presented it; Astronoid.

Now jumping off of the story, in a year of winners, Astronoid's debut, Air, truly stuck out to me. With 2016 being one of the strongest years for metal in recent memory, it was hard to compete with outstanding releases from Cobalt, Alcest, Vektor, and so many others. Yet Astronoid has been somewhat of a constant in my listening rotation. This may be due to the two occasions of seeing them live, first with Ghost, and more recently with Tesseract and Plini, but I believe it is something more than that. If you are unaware of what this band is, I first implore you to listen to the band's debut. However, if you have a busy schedule, and 2016 is not a year you cherish to remember, I will give you a short rundown; Astronoid is a band that plays a very interesting style of music, which some have given the somewhat joking genre tag of "dream thrash", but listening to the music gives insight to how true this actually is. Atmospheric guitars plucking beautiful and serene melodies, overscore the vicious blast beats and airy vocals that float a bit lower in the mix. Their sound makes you feel like you're floating, perhaps on a cloud, or maybe on air. It is odd to categorize this band into a genre because they have so much raw originality in their sound while taking from other genres and melding them with ease. Encyclopedia Metallum classifies Astronoid as "Post-Metal/Rock/Shoegaze", and while I agree that this band utilizes all of these elements, it feels like that tag is missing something, because this isn't close to the vein of the sludgier side of post-metal, like ISIS (The Band) or Neurosis, nor does it sound entirely like the the more atmospheric and post-rock sound emanated by some Agalloch or the lighter side of Alcest. The band is a somewhat interesting conundrum when it comes to placing them in a genre, and that is one of the many reasons this band has gained so much buzz since their last album.

Enthralled by this release, I was more than excited to see that late last year (2018), the band released the first single from their 2019 self-titled album. The song, "I Dream In Lines", was exactly what I wanted in this new album, which essentially boiled down to a continuation of Air. After hearing the second single earlier this year, "A New Color", I was somewhat skeptical of what would come from this album. Both of these songs seemed to be potential B-sides to their first album, and while this was not exactly a problem, it posed a difficult situation for me as a listener, as I was excited to see where the band would take this sound that they had created all their own. Therefore, as I went into this album, I had to pose a question to myself; Will Astronoid give a fresh take on an already inventive sound, or will the band somewhat falter in trying to expand and stick to their guns and credits they had already been praised for?

The short answer is yes, to both sides. The first two singles, which happen to also be the first two track on the album, are very similar to the majority of the tracks on Air, and aside from being produced much better, there is not much more offered that their debut did not accomplish better. Now, before you raise your pitchfork, I really enjoy these songs. They emphasize exactly what Astronoid sounds like; Hooky guitar lines, catchy vocals, and a strong, groovy rhythm section, with an atmospheric and upbeat style that can put a smile on anyone's face. The songs are great, but they are somewhat of a let down in the innovation category. This problem, however, is quickly resolved on the next two tracks, "Lost" and "Fault". The first song starts with a distant drum and a sole guitar playing a melancholic and reverb filled melody and perfectly builds to the epic climax with the best parts of Astronoid; soundscape guitars with jaw-droppingly high and airy vocals and punchy and complex drums. The second song begins with a quiet synth that builds in volume to the classic instrumentation kicking shortly after. And at this point in the album, I know something is very different from Air; the songs are formulaically different. While Air develops the melodies through the guitars, Astronoid bases theirs around the vocal lines in the songs. This shows, and in turn, results in a slightly altered listening experience that is unique from the debut. Is it better or worse? I cannot really say much other than, "It's different."

"Breathe" and "Water" are both excellent cuts in the middle of the tracklist, that provides a bit more innovation in terms of dynamics and tones in comparison to those before it. The first song begins with a quiet riff that swiftly crescendos into a grand forte. With perhaps the most infectious guitar line on the album, this song shows that this band can take their unique sound and continue to evolve it. While it is still distinctly an Astronoid song, it brings an extra catchiness and simplicity that makes it one of the stronger tracks on the release. “Water” is similar in this way, as the atmospheric tremolos underly the rest of the instrumentation before the first verse, where the main riff of the song subsequently enters. However, in this cut, the climax of the song is the highlight, as all of the instrumentation builds during the chorus to an epic swell that makes for an exceptionally euphoric moment in the already blissful album.

"I Wish I Was There When The Sun Set" and "Ideal World" are a few less memorable cuts on the back half, with "Beyond the Scope" as an electronic-based midsection that is oddly crammed in between them. These songs are good overall but falter in quality to the others on the tracklist, and more or less meld into one another. This tends to be the biggest problem on this album. Whereas some of the tracks are true highlights, the majority of them just blend together and are not as memorable as those from Air. While I hate comparing albums to prior ones, but when the songs sound quite similar in comparison, it is something that needs to be pointed out.

Overall, this album is good. Unlike their debut, Astronoid does not have any songs that sound like filler. For example, intro track “Incandescent” and later track “Violence” are far more reserved than the rest of the tracks on the album, whereas every track on this album has its true place. However, it lacks the freshness and originality of Air but somewhat makes up for it in its production and different song structures. I am more than happy with any new Astronoid that comes out, but I hope that on the next album, there is the extra little piece that is missing from this album.

Final Score: Fall beneath the clouds, wove between the sound

Favorite Tracks: "Lost", "Breathe"