Release Date: July 21st 2023. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD/Vinyl
Traveling A Higher Consciousness: Tracklisting
1.Heart of the Nebula
2.Accessing the Mind's Eye
3.The Traveler
4.Long View of Astral Consciousness
5.Interstellar
Members
Drew Patricks - Everything
Review:
Traveling A Higher Consciousness is the new album from Instrumental Psych/Space/Stoner Rock Outfit - Astral Construct. The album also delves into areas of Prog Rock, Post-Rock, Ambient Rock and Doom Rock for an album that conveys a deeply progressive and rich cinematic sound. Taking creative cues from bands such as ELDER, King Buffalo, Earthless, Pink Floyd and Russian Circles, this is an album that has a free-flowing narrative that allows Drew Patricks to become one with Space Rock nature.
The tracks contained on the album are vivid and move along at their own creative rhythm with the Ambient driven score allowing areas of gloomy FUZZ being added to the more “dreamlike” movements of the album which is shown modestly on the excellent opening track Heart Of The Nebula. The song shows how Astral Construct plays a fine balance of HEAVY and QUIET based grooves with the Progressive themes perhaps being considered more Ambient Post-Rock than Post-Stoner. Though, the song does have its fair share of heavier Doom/Stoner based sounds.
I was expecing a lot more “Extended Jam” based delivery on this album but Drew wisely avoids this route and delivers a more thrilling style of music especially when the quieter moments appear which come more into focus on tracks such as: Accessing The Mind’s Eye and The Traveler. The instrumental work does become more “Post-Doom” and “Post-Metal” but with a keen eye on Space Rock sounds with Astral Construct keeping everything real that bands such as ELDER and King Buffalo use to deliver their music.
The album does have a “raw-sounding” quality to it which shows listeners this is definitely a “one-man” operation and that’s one of the highlights of the album. Drew offers an album with genuine human warmth and real emotion which you can feel throughout the album. Drew is also an amazing musician which he proves time and time again on the album especially on the later stages of the album on tracks such as Long View Of Astral Consciousness and Intersteallar.
The second half of Traveling A Higher Consciousness is perhaps more Free-Flowing Doom/Stoner based but there’s still some stylish Post-Rock/Psych Rock moments where Astral Construct takes a more Space Rock approach with their music.
The album does have some Stoner Rock pedigree behind the scenes with the legendary Tony Reed mastering the album. So you can take that as another reason to listen to this fantastic album. Traveling A Higher Consciousness is a gloriously entertaining album that has an epic feel and scope that leaves you wanting to hear more.
Excellent and Highly Recommended.
Words by Steve Howe
Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the promo.
Traveling A Higher Consciousness will be available to buy from August 25th 2023 on CD/DD/Vinyl
Links:
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