Unleashed in 2003, Astriaal’s debut full-length release Renascent Misanthropy earned the Brisbane-based act critical acclaim both nationally and internationally. But after a lengthy seven years of recorded silence, Astriaal have finally returned with their long awaited second effort Anatomy Of The Infinite.
Unleashed in 2003, Astriaal’s debut full-length release Renascent Misanthropy earned the Brisbane-based act critical acclaim both nationally and internationally. But after a lengthy seven years of recorded silence, Astriaal have finally returned with their long awaited second effort Anatomy Of The Infinite.
With such a lengthy gap between releases, it comes as no surprise to find that Astriaal have moved on from Renascent Misanthropy in terms of both sound and direction. But while Anatomy Of The Infinite does represent some shift in the Astriaal sound of old, this is still very much an Astriaal album… and one that followers have definitely been waiting for.
Much in the way that Renascent Misanthropy opened, the short Blessed Are The Dead introduces the album with gradual build of tight-knit guitar work, shredding lead work, blasting drums and some venomous screamed efforts from vocalist Arzarkhel. After a gentle fade out, the band unleash pure hell with their follow up track Visceral Incarnate. Although every bit as brutal as the past material, Visceral Incarnate relies little on the symphonic influences that dominated their past work, and instead sees the band stripping their sound back to its basic components for a more technically inclined sound. The fast paced riffing and the relentless blasts from Gryphon propel ‘Neath The Bones Of Salvation, giving the song a fairly straight forward black metal feel, but with a hint of melody seeping through the chaos. Meanwhile, The Scars Of Aberration, Foundations In Flesh and epic – and sombre – closer For The Day Will Come showcase the band’s growth since the release of their debut, with the songwriting sounding far more varied and challenging than anything they’ve previously attempted before.
Seven years is quite a long time between releases for any band, but more so for a band that have only managed one full-length release prior to their self imposed exile from the spotlight. Despite their absence, Anatomy Of The Infinite is a worthy return effort for Astriaal, and one that’s sure to receive as much critical acclaim as they did all those years ago.
