Astral Construct - Three Moons (Single Review)

Release Date: May 28th  2024. Record Label: Self Released. Formats: DD

Three Moons: Tracklisting

Three Moons

Band Members

Drew Patricks - Everything

Review

Instrumental Psych/Space/Stoner Rock collective Astral Construct returns with their new single Three Moons which takes a slight detour into Prog Rock pastures with a heavy metallic obsessive sound. The song still has echoes of that ethereal Space Rock swagger that made their 2023 full length album Travelling A Higher Consciousness such a spellbinding and interesting record to listen to.

Three Moons allows Astral Construct to weave Post-Rock atmospherics and sullen Prog Rock environments which can be quite abstract and contemporary in places. Though, it’s the more melodic and modern sounding Post-Stoner grooves that impressed me the most. As the music ventures into areas of Post-Doom with the band drawing upon influences such as Pallbearer and Russian Circles within the gloomier and heavier movements on the later stages of the track.

There are echoes of Drone Rock energy appearing within the background which sees that Drew Patricks (the creative mastermind behind Astral Construct) maybe toying with the idea of branching out into other heavier areas of the Doom/Stoner based musical landscape for future releases. 

Overall, Three Moons offers quite a different sound compared to Astral Construct’s last record but one that will no doubt impress their loyal and dedicated following at the same time.

Excellent and Highly Recommended.

Words by Steve Howe

Links

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Exclusive Song Premiere Of THE TRAVELER By ASTRAL CONSTRUCT

Astral Construct is a fuzz-driven, psychedelic, space ride and is motivated by a fascination with the possibilities of creating a platform for the listener to get lost and travel to where the music and the mind take them. The music is intended to paint the heavy and the dark as well as the colors that brighten the fringes of the void.

The new album, Traveling a Higher Consciousness, continues the theme of space exploration and the sense of isolation but demonstrates a clear progression in the delivery of the message of exploration and escape. Songs such as Heart of the Nebula sculpt a twisting turning journey though time and space with mood changes and tempo swings. Accessing the Mind’s Eye starts with a calm, dark build that is punctuated by a double time race to the end and an outro solo that fades out but leaves a deep impression. Interstellar, the climax of the journey, takes the listener out on a psychedelic trip to its conclusion.

Ahead of the new album release this Friday we are premiering the epic new song The Traveler.

Thanks to Desert Bloom PR for the details..

Traveling A Higher Consciousness will be available to buy from August 25th 2023 on CD/DD/Vinyl

Links:

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Astral Construct - Traveling A Higher Consciousness (Album Review)

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:

Facebook | BandCamp | Instagram