Life In The Black - News And Reviews
Release Year - 2014
Band Members
Meghan
Record Label -
Sylvan Screams Analog/Red River Family/ Tridroid Records/Le Crépuscule du Soir Productions
Independent Distributor
http://crownofasteria.bandcamp.com/
Official Facebook Fan Page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Crown-of-Asteria/429998283760555
Alone in solitude walking in a plush evergreen forest we connect to nature where something happens that aligns our soul with the very nature itself. Leaves and shrub crackle beneath our feet and the sweet scent of pine is stimulated with in our sense of smell. Soon we arrive at an embankment of a running river. The sound of running water washes a tranquility of total inner peace inside our soul. Crown of Asteria certainly knows how to transport ones soul and emotions to such a landscape of ecstasy, bliss and escape.
From the opening track Stag Head for A Looming Soul, the band opens with sounds based on a Arabic to Indian scale with a sitar. Added to the ecceltic beauty of chants with the tranquil water mixed within the lush compostion and a lovely segway of the blissful sounds of nature that lead into Tides of The Strawberry Moon.
Tides of The Strawberry Moon lead off with a beautiful marriage of acoustical guitar with tender sounds of a plush tropical rainforest and thus continuing the epic journey of Sol. After a brief pause the illusion of nightfall has occured. With a heavy riff , cricket sounds and a blistering black metal scream, it seems like darkness is about to overtake the listener which eventually turns out to be Totem: Invocation of The Owl.
On Totem: Invocation of The Owl the rhythm section does not rely on the sometimes overused double bass blast beats that seem prevelant within the Black Metal community. The rhythm section is a far more progressive approach like a cross between Bill Bruford (ex-King Crimson, Yes) with early heavy handed Clive Burr (ex-Iron Maiden) beats. The drums certainly appear to have their own individual method.
One common, yet soothing theme through this album is rich acoustical passages married with the peaceful sounds of nature compounded with hypnotic chant overtones. Seasons Turning Of The Year Wheel is the epitomy of this beautiful blend.
Sol takes a great unexpected turn. Along with the continuing acoustical passages, Crown of Asteria introduce some great stripped down acoustical percussion in kind of a far east to oriental fashion. All in all Crown of Asteria's - Sol is a journey of both introspective and overt discovery of the listener. Sol will be looked at as blueprint for Ambient/Folk/Black Metal for years to come. Meghan has produced a solid masterpiece.
I rate this 5/5 .
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