Release
date: November
23rd
2018. Label: Black
Bow Records.
Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Nanoångström
– Tracklisting
Distant
Suns
Far
Horizons
The
Beckoning Void
Nanoångström
A
Red Line through Black
The
Ghosts which Haunt the Space Between the Stars
Members
Craig
Bryant
Jon
Lee
Gavin
Thomas
Review
Bast
return after a lengthy five year absence with their new album –
Nanoångström. The band made a great impression with their debut
album Spectres back in the day. Their blend of ice-cold Doom/Sludge
Metal was matched against a pitch black progressive Post-Black Metal
sound.
Spectres
was one of my albums of the year when it was released in
2014.
Now the band have returned and it feels like they have a few scores
to settle. As this album is angry as they come.
Opening
song Distant Suns is a subtle post-rock song with trippy ambient
heavy interludes. This is a very cool sounding song that offers a
brief glimmer of hope amongst the darkness Bast create from here on
in.
Second
song – Far Horizons – is a blackened doomed/sludge metal song
that has elements of their previous album but with a thicker and
heavier progressive sound. The song moves from gloomy post-rock
atmospheres and soaring melodies that YOB are known for. The vocals
are superbly sung as they move from death based growls to a more
melodic clean based style.
Third
song – The Beckoning Void – opens with a thrashier riff spliced
with an unstoppable blackened Doom/Sludge riff. The song is
relentless as Bast start to add strands of Psychedelic noises into
the mix. The song could have easily run out of steam but Bast show
enough musical creativity to keep the mood vibrant throughout the
almost eleven minute running time.
Fourth
song – Nanoångström – is the standout song on the album and I
can see why the band named the album after this song. As this song
shows Bast at their majestic best. With the band playing a non-stop
onslaught of Post-Black Metal and Progressive Doom/Sludge Metal.
Though Bast still offer moments of helpful Post-Rock passages amongst
the darkness. The song shows the band creating an epic cinematic song
that’s quite unforgiving in places.
As
with the other songs on the album the final two songs – A Red Line
Through Black and The Ghosts Which
Haunt the Space Between the Stars – both run past or near the ten
minute mark. This perhaps the heaviest and gloomiest parts of the
album. As Bast finish the album on an almighty high. The heavy
progressive sounds of Bast have a real purpose and sense of urgency
that make you quite sad when the album actually ends.
The
production on this album is simply stunning and you can feel every
hypnotic bleak and heavy sound coming from all corners. Bast have
delivered the goods again with this album and one that will
rightfully claim this album as one of the best albums of the year.
Even this late into the game.
Nanoångström
is
a thrilling and breath-taking album.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks
to Curtis at Dewar PR for the promo. Nanoångström will be available
to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Black Bow Records from November 23rd
2018.
Links:
