FROM THE GREAT BEYOND

The Grand Astoria considers their latest release to be an EP. Normally, I'm respectful of bands' classifications of their releases, even if they're much longer than the usual length of an EP. For example, the 60-minute Tulimyrsky from Moonsorrow is absolutely an EP, with its weirdly scattershot collection of covers and re-recordings. This 33-minute release, though, feels cohesive enough to be a short album, which is why I've placed it here, and not on my Top EPs list. Addressing the substance of this release, it's a stellar slab of space-psych suffused with stoner spirit. Folky acoustic guitars and banjo mesh effortlessly with the astral atmosphere of the title track, and the 10-minute "Njanatiloka" showcases the band's strength at blending stoner metal with complex prog riffs and arrangements. This might be the band's most explicitly spacey release yet, and it's an angle which suits them well.

Review originally posted here: theeliteextremophile.com/2021/01/14/top-50-prog-albums-of-2020-part-2-25-1/