Renowned for their top drawer Doom roster, UK label Rise Above were also known to throw in the odd curve-ball every now and again just in case anyone thought they could predict them. One of those aforementioned oddities was American Prog/Psyche band Astra, whose debut “The Weirding” rose serenely from the dark murky depths, dripping in mellotron, casting tempo changes in all directions, reminiscing of times past when music was increasingly experimental, despite its limited instrumentation and could be the ideal vehicle to basically get whacked off your tits to.
After very little was heard from the band after Astra’s second release “The Black Chord” in 2012, it’s taken 10 more years before the beating heart of Astra have finally re-emerged under the title of Birth. With Brian Ellis and Conor Riley at the helm once more, it’s hardly surprising that Birth’s closest comparison is their former guise. But their latest four-piece, Birth, although wonderfully indulgent (as all the best Prog is), they are a more focused unit than Astra were. Still taking influence from bands like King Crimson, there is nowadays much more to hear within their rhythmically diverse, intricate retrospective soundscapes.
Musically, the guitar is more to the fore, giving the mellotron a good run for its money, dualling and complementing, displaying striking lead guitar solos at many a turn and evoking memories of early Wishbone Ash (particularly when the much-improved vocals are added to the mix). Caravan, Camel, early Pink Floyd and ELP, might make a brief appearance on the bands journey to arrive back at their own personal unique musical standpoint. The songs ebb and flow in a way that manages to put the listener at ease whilst still keeping them engaged, occasionally surprised and always interested. They have captured a mood, a time in music that we all knew happened, but in hindsight could easily tip into the realms of overtly introverted and egotistical. Birth take that original idea and make it slightly more palatable for a modern, busier, technologically driven world, yet still make us believe we are listening to something from a bygone age. It’s quite a skill and one that Birth excel at.
(8/10 Andy Barker)
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