THE BLACK CHORD

Astra are a progressive/psychedelic/space rock band from California. The combination of sounds they display is very much influenced by early 70s progressive and psychedelic rock. Two influences that stand out are Pink Floyd and Yes, but darker and more sinister, as if on a bad acid trip. The Black Chord is the second full length album from the band, which originated from the band Silver Sunshine. A lineup change and shift in sound, and the band known as Astra was created. Employing dark Moog synths and mellotrons, trippy guitar melodies, and tribal sounding drums, they craft a wonderfully space-y journey through time.

The tone for this album is set right away, with wind sounds and a cosmic keyboard chord fading in on 'Cocoon'. The song builds and builds in mood, getting faster and more intense. The title track is a mammoth, 15 minute long cosmic trip. It varies its mood and pace expertly, making for a fantastic experience. The entire album manipulates the atmosphere very well, going between mellotron driven relaxed passages, tense progressive flourishes, and the occasional acoustic guitar lead.

The musicianship on the album is very precise and well-developed. The drumming stands out for being complex and fluid, without being over the top. The guitar parts are very free flowing, never seeming content to fall into a repetitive pattern, and the bass guitar follows suit, and the keyboards provide a perfect backdrop for all of this to take place. In addition to the individual parts being excellent, the songs are written well which allows all the pieces to fit together perfectly. The flow within and between each of the songs is fantastic, essential for the ambitious tone and structure that Astra is going for.

The Black Chord is an ambitious mix of progressive rock, psychedelic folk, and space rock. Astra have truly been able to forge a sound that is a throwback to the classics while still being its own unique entity. The band has a very bright future ahead of them if they can continue improving at this pace.

Score: 81