Astral Sleep (AS for short) are here with an invitation to take a journey into your own self. Do you dare to take it? For you see the toll is high, as you might never return from the depths of your self. Or whatever might wait in it and transit you to other stages of beingness.

AS present two long works of doom metal art. Let's dissect the main points of them. 'Landscapes' starts with weird atmospheric effects and soon enter funereal doom movements. Slowly, the song begin to transform, mainly with a change between varying low stomach growls and clean vocals and drummer also rises pace. In the middle of the song in kicks a heavy and fastish part, including a banjo (synthesized or not?!)!When guys start sweating, they return to slowness of a funeral procession. The songs ends to weird sounds and these carry on to the next one, titled 'Window to the Sky'. This second song is a marvellous, if you will, tribute to United Kingdom (of) doom. Slow yet groovy heavy metal doom is what this song is all about. While the song lasts for over 20 minutes, it includes a few different basic parts. Basic? Yes, as the songs might include only a few different parts, they are not droning, but there are slight transformations brought in by different, errrrrr... Sounds! The songs are in constant motion, so to speak. While this is no music for close-minded, easily startled or completely suicidal people, it never gets too weird and therefore keeps its listenability.

The whole is totally organic, breathing Lovecraftian behemoth. Its heart isn't of metronome accuracy, and it mustn't be. Sound-wise this stays more on bass side and while it's probably recorded at home/rehearsal place, this is generally job well done. Nothing cassette deck quality, let me tell you, if not quite studio quality either. But this is perfect just the way it is. Playing-wise, this doesn't contain any technique showing.

This debut demo is easy to recommend for mad doom metal fanatics, as there's a good funeral doom piece and absolutely splendid heavy doom metal piece. Demo of the year 2005. Astral Sleep, I need some of it.

Reviewed by Lane
01/07/2006 19:35