2010
09.13
09.13
Формат: CD
Дата Релиза: 13.09.2010
Страна: Финляндия
Стиль: Doom Death
Новейшая работа финского коллектива. Миниальбом “Angel” состоит из трёх частей с одноимёнными названиями и представляет группу в более традиционном doom death metal стиле, чем их дебютная работа, что делает новые песни более целостными не только в концептуальном, но и музыкальном плане. Вместе с тем, группа звучит всё также мрачно и тяжело, как того и требуют каноны жанра: исключительная в своей последовательности жанру работа для всех его ценителей.
Треклист:
1. Angel
2. Angel
3. Angel
Review
Inwë[B]zine
25.01.2011
La Finlande est l’un des pays, voire LE pays le plus représenté dans la scène doom métal. REVEREND BIZARRE, SHAPE OF DESPAIR, SKEPTICISM ou encore SWALLOW THE SUN sont quelques groupes qui me viennent à l’esprit qui sont pour moi des piliers du genre.
Arrive donc ASTRAL SLEEP, groupe formé en 2004, nous offrant comme noté sur le site internet un heavy/death doom lent, teinté de Funeral. Rien que ça !! Ne connaissant le groupe que pour leur participation au Tribute to Thergothon, je suis plutôt curieux de voir ce que le groupe donne au niveau composition.
Les photos choisis pour l’artwork sont très jolies et très pures. Des paysages idylliques ! Seule la photo de groupe me fait quelque peu sourire car vraiment très kitsch !! Est-ce revendiqué par le groupe ? Peut être bien car on retrouve cette sensation à la lecture des paroles.
Je sais que l’album Unawakening sorti en 2008 a fait l’objet d’un accueil mitigé, je me demande ce qu’il en sera pour cet EP. Les premières minutes de l’album sont très loin de ce que je m’attendais d’un groupe de doom. De la double pédale, un tempo rapide, une voix claire qui tient la route, effectivement, le heavy métal fait partie des influences d’ASTRAL SLEEP. Je vais tout de même vite me retrouver dans des territoires plus familiers avec de nombreux passages atmosphériques, une voix teintée death, voire funeral. Et pourtant, c’est bien la voix claire que je trouve la plus intéressante. Très plaintive, elle a un gros impact sur la musique du groupe.
La spécialité du groupe est le changement d’ambiance et de tempo. Souvent bien pensés, ces changements sont tout de même déroutants et parfois complètement déstabilisants. Passer de gros riffs de guitares à un silence de mort sans transition, avouez que cela peut choquer. On s’attend à tout, du meilleur au pire.
Jusqu’à Angel (troisième du nom), ASTRAL SLEEP cherchera à nous surprendre, avec des ambiances proches de la froideur du black/doom mais aussi des passages pesants du doom métal. Des contrées assez éloignées que le groupe cherche à exploiter au maximum.
Il est clair que dans cet EP, on ne peut pas reprocher au groupe un manque d’originalité, une prise de risque, une musique sans filet et ce, pendant plus de 30 minutes. Cependant, l’enchaînement de toutes ces ambiances peut être frustrant. En effet, on voit défiler les contrées sans pouvoir profiter des paysages. Un peu comme une série de photos de panoramas que l’on aurait prises d’avion sans s’être posé pour mieux apprécier les régions.
Je reste donc mitigé sur cet EP, je pense que si l’on ne connaît pas le groupe, c’est une très bonne occasion de découvrir une musique originale et surprenante. Mais c’est frustrant de ne pas apprécier toutes les possibilités d’ASTRAL SLEEP puisque leur talent est passé en revue sans être approfondi.
Author: dark.pimousse
Review
Antichrist zine 11/2011
6/10
Oh shit, when I start listen to this CD first time I was a bit confusedJ. First track’ started with pure death metal massacre, he-he, just a little time but I thought there’s not AS’ CD… But then all become right. So, this is next offer from this Finnish doom metal band. Here are just three songs, but they are pretty long, and luckily – listenable. Doom metal crossing with death metal massiveness and various types of vocals, as well as pretty enough of tempo-changes and mood changes. This album is wrapped in real obscurity and without any compromises sounds pretty hard. The music is made in various tempos, but mainly in slow and mid, and this is typical thing, isn’t it? Disharmonic parts and some hysterical moods bring much deep and pressing feeling. Actually “Angel” sounds pretty devilish and with some cosmic atmosphere during these long songs of… of… can’t find right words… let’s say – songs of madness, he-he. And third song made in really down tempo way, that’s not funeral doom even, but just some fucking sloooow and a little boring songJ, which become much interesting when heavy guitars and solos fighting! All in all, this album is made in deep, pressing and depressive way, with all important tunes and moods. And main thing – “Angel” is a very different album of their last work!
Review
Doom Metal Front
6.5/10
„Thank you and fuck you for getting this album!“ Mit diesen frostigen Worten begrüßen ASTRAL SLEEP den Besitzer ihrer Mini-CD „Angel“ im winterlichen Booklet. Gerechtfertigt wird der warmherzigen Eröffnungssatz in den nachstehenden Zeilen, in denen die Finnen endgültig klar stellen, dass der Song „Angel“ einer anderen Band mit dem Namen ASTRAL SLEEP zuzuordnen ist. Ob die gemeinte deutsche Gothic-Rock/Darkwave Formation allerdings wirklich als Urheber dieses Stücks gilt, bleibt auch nach detaillierten Internetrecherchen unklar. Ungeachtet dieses, für das Review sekundären Fakts, steht fest, dass die Nordlichter so angepisst über die andauernde Verwechslung sind, dass sie nicht nur ihren aktuellen Silberling, sondern die drei darauf gepressten Titel mit „Angel“ benennen. Außer der Bezeichnung haben die Tracks jedoch nicht im entferntesten eine Ähnlichkeit mit dem „Original“. „Angel“ Nummer 1 weist folglich einen knallharten Death Metal Einstieg auf und lässt während seiner 11:43 minütigen Spielzeit, sowohl im gesanglichen als auch instrumentalen Sektor die Grenzen zwischen traditionellem Doom, chaotischen High Speed Parts und bekannten finnischen Melodic Death Einsprengsel verschwimmen. „Angel“ Nummer 2 gibt sich innerhalb von 8 Minuten mit angenehmen Akustikgitarren, mystischen Keyboardsounds und verstörenden Samples sowie mit wechselnden Death/Clean Vocals, bis zu einem Tempoanzug kurz vor Schluss, insgesamt getragener. „Angel“ Nummer 3 wird von eisigem Wind und sporadischen Tastenanschlägen zu einer funeralistisch fallenden Schneewand geleitet, welche im Weiteren über 11 Minuten langen Verlauf bei bedächtigem, leicht psychodelischem Gesang und minimaler Instrumentalisierung in beinahe dreckig rockende Abschnitte und einen finalen stromlosen Gitarrenausklang rutscht.
Fazit: ASTRAL SLEEP aus Finnland beschreiten mit ihrem „Anti-Werk“ „Angel“ einen individuellen Weg der Frustbewältigung und geben, aufgrund des in allen drei Stücken identischen Textes, dem Begriff Konzeptalbum eine etwas andere Bedeutung.
Author: Slowmas
Review
Burning Black
Astral Sleep is a Finnish quintet formed in 2004, since the same year of its formation; the band has unleashed four works, including a demo, a full length album and two EPs, being “Angel” EP, released in September 2010, the last one of these offerings. The band gained a lot of attention with its first album entitled “Unawakening”, released in 2008 under Solitude Productions; its powerful blend of traditional Doom Metal with obscure Death Metal overtones took the Doom Metal scene by surprise, lately Astral Sleep also contributed with the track “Yet The Watchers Guard” for “Rising Of Yog-Sothoth – Tribute To Thergothon” obtaining even more consideration within the international Doom Metal scene… “Angel” consists in three tracks; all entitled “Angel” as the EP’s title and each one of these songs has the exact same lyrics, but despite of how unoriginal or monotone this may sound, musically this work has the most extraordinary variety I’ve heard in a Doom Metal opus in quite a while. The opening track is a crude piece of Death/Doom Metal with hellish growls and deep clean voices, a sort of mix between early Amorphis and Tristitia, the structure of this track ranges from blasting up-tempo Death Metal passages to mid-to-slow traditional Doom Metal parts, all these ornate by a magnificent, obscure and beautiful sense of melody. The second “Angel”, is a more Doom Metal oriented piece, obscure and subtle almost Gothic at some passages, but also including a malignant and omnipresent Black Metal vibe that fill this composition during the eight minutes this track lasts, the ripping voice of Markus Heinonen is once again a highlight, his wide range of obscure tones are just perfect for the whole eclectic music this EP contains. The closing track is a more Funeral Doom Metal oriented composition, atmospheric and subtle at moments, with its intense passages of semi-acoustic minimalist interludes this composition is probably the most disturbing and hypnotic sounding of the whole EP. The whole atmospheres of mystery and obscurity of this track are suddenly broke at the final couple of minutes by a powerful up-tempo melodic Doom/Death Metal interlude, creating a powerful end not only for this track but for the entire EP. “Angel” is one hell of a work; this EP has all the elements of an excellent Doom Metal opus: variety, power, obscurity and originality… what else can you ask for? If you like any form of Doom Metal, you better run for your copy of “Angel”, this work is a MUST.
Author: AP
Review
Diabolical Conquest
4.8/10
31.01.2011
The only time I had heard Astral Sleep prior to this EP was their one track contribution to the Thergothon tribute album, a cover of the track ‘Yet the Watchers Guard’. While the original song is god-tier (come on, it’s Thergothon), Astral Sleep really gave off the vibe of being a dud band contributing a dud cover to a tribute album half full of shitty bands (of course there were some good tracks too, such as Worship’s contribution). Regardless, Astral Sleep didn’t leave any good impression on me, so I approached Angel with zero expectations. Guess you could call it a lucky break. Astral Sleep is a band that doesn’t really know what it wants to sound like. I haven’t heard any of their other original material, which includes a full length, but judging simply from this EP, Astral Sleep has the tiniest shreds of promise which they smother in stylistic indecisiveness and very poor musical cohesion. The EP follows some sort of theme regarding angels, Satan and evilness, but the lyrics are so awful that there is no way anybody could possibly take the concept seriously (apparently the EP is made up of three different versions of the same song, but it doesn’t really make a difference).
The first track is the only tolerable composition on the album – it has moments that appear to imitate Turn Loose the Swans-era My Dying Bride and then other sections which sound exactly like Insomnium’s first album, both of which are then broken up with lacklustre death metal segments which sound like Ataraxie pre-Slow Transcending Agony. Nonetheless, as mediocre as it becomes, the first track is not so bad and Astral Sleep manage to find some cohesion. The rest of the EP, however, is not so easily discernable. Perhaps the best way of describing what it sounds like can be summed up in a lyric from the second track – ‘WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS SHIT?’. Ignoring the fact that this is a ridiculous line itself, it perfectly encapsulates Astral Sleep’s muddle of ideas and lacklustre cohesiveness. To be perfectly honest, I would have never guessed that these were the same song played in three different ways had I not looked it up (I guess the lyrics being the same gave it away too), but this little titbit of knowledge really made no difference to my enjoyment of the EP. In fact I probably like it less.
There’s one conclusion that I’ve drawn from reviewing Angel and that is that Astral Sleep are a disappointment to their Finnish heritage. If this marks the future of Finnish death/doom, then we might as well just kill ourselves in the most mediocre ways possible.
Author: Erkay Berkan
Review
Hymnes Funeraires
8/10
01.09.2010
After listening to these three songs, I have to say that I am remarkably impressed by them laced together. It is quite rare to find a band that lets the songs mold as an unit without slight difficulties. But it’s like they cool together in the same chords, in the same textures. I might’ve been more impressed by a well defined diversity in the sounds, all of them seem similar, somehow, but the whole album expresses the same bundle of feelings. The atmosphere is cadaverous, beautifully funeral, disturbing, yet beautiful, rotten as it is. The desperation, the frustration, the anger are expressed in an incredibly artistic manner. I’ll attempt to describe every track.
Track one.
The track starts with an energic atmosphere, similar to death metal, orgasmic guitar riffs that only manage to intrude into your ears like a cascade of sounds, convincing in their violence. Incredibly catchy and addictive, the textures are amazingly rough. I can personally associate this with a Heaven Shall Burn passage. It rushes so neatly. As the sound cools forward, a brutal scream only amplifies the unit, but only to mellow out sooner or later with vocals that seem so priest-like and choral, almost sacred in their vibration. The doomish atmosphere starts heightening its contrast, the sounds pour slowly, a simple guitar solo, maddening as it takes over, resonating, vibrating with a slight echo. The feelings change into a similar black metal chaotic mix. It settles with more brutal vocals, terrifying. Yet, in this whole paradox, the following textures sound almost medieval, viking, folk elements present, only to mold into the same outburst of brutality. The harmony is amazing. I can only picture a fortress, humid, dark and frightening. The repetitive, deadly.. or should I say deathly part appears again. The sounds become black metal-ish soon enough, technical, almost similar to …And Oceans, the textures are dirty, groovy, heavy. They drip into a slow rain-like passage, relaxing in its simplicity.. Like the fall of an angel, like a drop of reluctance.. Repetitive, yet convincing, similar to Shape of Despair. Funeral, entirely absorbing, drums beating in announcements, I’d say. The melody isn’t fragmented. The silent, yet completely overwhelming passages mingle with the Darkthrone-like ones.. Hatred is spilling into mellow voices, a melody cooling slower until it echoes out in a quiet end.
Track two.
The second song starts with a vibrating motion, sounds similar to the rattling gurgles of a snake suppurating through emptiness, to a cathedral, to a sacred, yet freaky atmosphere. The silence is massively suggestive.. Then a texture similar to a footstep slams in.. To guide us towards the guitars creeping out a lively sound that keeps increasing in intensity throughout the song.. Hauling into the listener’s veins directly. A deep low growl appears into the sound, the doom metal vocals that never relent pouring their sadness, intense and amazing. They’re convincing even if they’re mediocre, they mold into a scream, as if the ugly has been manipulated into a form of art. The textures are dirty. The rhythm is sad and the drum beats feel as if they’re crying with every harsh pump. Then again, higher tones of vocals protrude, a Finnish accent noticeable in the intonation. It fits perfectly. A sweet moment of silence with acoustic chords settles in. The moments interlace. Calm and unique sounds, yet filled with frustration. Quiet, slow, beautiful. The song takes a sudden turn, a beautiful contrast that draws you in. A voice is rising.. Melodic, macabre, hidden growls melt into the background. The atmosphere shapes like a castle, with angelic voices creeping into nothingness, followed by demonic screams, all of it in a plash of desperation, like a crowd of people that melts into void.
Track three.
Beautiful from the first chords. Calm and similar to an orchestra, silenced out by pinches of chords. The sound is culminating. The guitar sounds traditional, melting into an almost Brasilian perfection. It reminds me of a forest. The darkness shows up, covering the entirety of images. A rough passage bursts, only to disperse in pure, acoustic guitar and a saddened voice, a hymn of despair. But it’s melancholic, like a man with a withered life, gagging with tears and gulps of alcohol, it’s how it resonates in my ears. The silence that follows is beautiful, suggestic religious doubt. Whispers, contrabass getting the shape of a delicious agony, amplified in a menacing passage, screamed out in anger. It calms down like ancient columns, with spitted attempts of vocals, as if the vocal chords are forcing sounds out.. The guitars sing high sounds. A lounge-like silence finds its way in the song, it takes another beautiful, impressive turn. Acoustic sounds, angelic vibrations, whispers, rushed black metal.. Depressive. A marvelous fullness. Also, it gets the form of something somewhat similar to Amesoeurs, post-rock shades, without the vocals. The vocals are angry and dark. The drums become fast.. And faster.. Only to switch to the same calm, to choir-like vocals, simple guitar chords.. And then, silence.
Monotonous, but beautiful.
Author: Zamo
Review
Pitchline Zine
7.5/10
02.09.2011
Todavía recuerdo el día en que escuché por vez primera el Our Problem de Iron Monkey. Miré la portada y pensé: “¿De verdad este discazo tiene esta mierda de portada?” Porque era difícil de creer que algo tan maravilloso pudiera tener ese dibujo tan cutre propio de un chaval de 12 años. Y mira que intenta uno evitar pasarse de la raya por respeto al trabajo de otros, pero es que cuando algo es malo, es malo, por mucho que quieras disimular. Lo curioso es que he acabado cogiéndole hasta cariño, será por lo que encierra el disco en su interior.
Por eso, cuando vi este álbum, tenía la certeza de que me encontraría con algo como mínimo interesante. No sólo eso, sino que me encuentro con un trabajo digno de ser, cuanto menos, anecdótico, pues Unawakening desprende un aroma que muy pocos consiguen obtener. Astral Sleep es una banda formada en Finlandia allá por 2004, exactamente en Tampere, y estaban dispuestos a demostrar hasta dónde son capaces de llegar. Su primer larga duración del 2008 fue a su vez su debut con Solitude Productions, y bajo su “pintoresca” portada (aunque mejor que el Our Problem, si nos ponemos a comparar) se esconde una auténtica obra, de ésas para colgar en la pared de tu salón con orgullo y regocijo.
Unawakening es el mejor ejemplo que podría dar una banda como Astral Sleep sobre cómo hacer Doom/Death sin caer en la repetición y en el esquema típico del estilo, pues presentan una serie de peculiaridades que te harán arquear una ceja ante la curiosida. En primer lugar, y a destacar sobre todo, la amplia variedad de voces que corren a cargo de Markus Heinonen. Sepultada por las guitarras, es increíble cómo puede pasar de unos guturales de auténtica ultratumba reverberantes que incluso se acercan a los usados comúnmente en el Funeral Doom, a unas voces limpias más próximas al Doom Metal tradicional de toda la vida, suspiros relajados y melódicos apagados, e incluso a voces en la vena del más puro Heavy Metal. Y si no, escuchad Expression, donde tiene varios momentos que a algunos probablemente le recuerden a Warning, y veréis, veréis… desde luego el título del tema le viene como anillo al dedo.
Además de ello, Unawakening destaca también por cómo van enlazando partes melódicas con riffs mucho más animados, rítmicos y pegadizos, y así como si de unos Novembers Doom se trataran, obtienen un equilibrio ideal entre unos y otros aspectos, convirtiendo el disco en toda una fluctuación bastante llevadera propia de una marea. 5 cortes son necesarios para construir un auténtico monstruo abisal como éste, si bien la duración de los temas es lo que más se le hará a alguno cuesta arriba, pero precisamente Unawakening tiene esa magia propia de los discos en los que a cada escucha descubrirás algo que se te pasó por alto la vez anterior. Peculiaridades como las que presenta Away From The World con unos efectos bastante interesantes, sonidos espaciales que vienen y van como si estuviéramos siendo observados por vidas inteligentes del más allá, o breves acústicos que se asoman tímidamente al final de End Of Ages son sólo un ejemplo y breve mirada hacia el universo que encierra esta obra.
Un disco que necesita de más de un viaje para hacerse con el terreno y allanarlo para la comodidad de uno, pero que una vez asentado en él, desearás no irte de ahí.
Author: Soulkiller
Review
Maelstorm
6.5/10
Angel is a bittersweet album that could have been a lot better if not for an unusual detractor. Astral Sleep’s music on this record is interesting doom / death that traverses some remarkable passages and keeps things lively with well-applied dynamic shifts in tempo, intensity, and vocal delivery. The guitar tone is crunchy and mean, the drums tidy but with enough punch to make them good, and the vocals, be they harsh or clean, contribute to the music’s overall sound.
It’s certainly not unusual for a metal band’s lyrics to be meaningless, rehashed cliche. Astral Sleep’s is as good an example as any in this case, being utterly generic, insipid lyrics about how you’re an angel, I’m an angel, Satan is out there, god is out there, but Satan is strong and god (no capital) is weak. Also, “she cuts herself to get a contact.”
Right, totally superfluous, throwaway stuff. However, these lyrics (which are repeated word for word in all three of the songs here) are brought forth in the sound and performances with such inescapable clarity and focus that their extremely inane nature greatly detracts from the otherwise quality work that Angel is. What a shame.
Author: Roberto Martinelli
Review
The Streets
5/10
01.12.2010
Finnene hadde et vell av ideer på sitt forrige album og eksperimenteringstrangen så ikke ut til å ha noen ende. Slik er det også med deres nyeste EP, men det merkes at de har blitt bedre på å snekre det hele sammen. Altså har de tatt seg tid til å planlegge strategi for hvor løypa skal gå og ikke bare kastet seg uti det for å se hvor de kom til å ende opp. Det er bare tre låter her, men det er ikke uvanlig at Doom-band tøyer grensene for varigheten til EP-formatet og Astral Sleep er intet unntak i så måte: tre låter, trettien minutter med musikk. Alle sporene bærer tittelen «Angel» og hadde jeg ikke visst bedre ville jeg tippe at det egentlig dreide seg om en halvtimes suite delt opp i tre. Hvert av sporene er faktisk laget av de ulike bandmedlemmene og det er overraskende å høre hvor samstemte de er i låtskrivingen.
De har en særegen tilnærming til både Traditional Doom Metal og Death/Doom, hvor det eklektiske elementet holdes høyt i hevd. Å skulle informere at låtene er snirklete og omfangsrike i sitt innhold virker i så måte som fullstendig unødvendig å informere om. Det er kanskje mindre vågal vokal (knegg) her, men fremførelsen virker sikrere og intonasjonen sitter bedre. Det oppstår aldri øyeblikk hvor man føler seg pinlig berørt på bandets vegne (noe som var tilfellet sist). I skrivende stund pågår det en kamp mellom det å erkjenne musikalske kvaliteter og å stole på magefølelsen sin. For det er utvilsomt mye som funker her og «Angel» er bedre enn «Unawakening» (sist var karakteren preget av snillisme, denne gangen er det heller motsatt. Urettferdig?), men om man stoler på magen blir dommen «fornøyelig, men forglemmelig». Ganske enkelt fordi ting burde feste seg etter åtte runder i spilleren, men etter at den drøye halvtimen er passert sitter jeg igrunn igjen med et spørsmålstegn i trynet.
Author: Rune