Astriaal
Renascent Misanthropy
Obsidian


Obsidian Records is really starting to get some swing behind it and a few years from now, it may well be your one-stop shop for the Queensland metal scene. And what better way to get your name out there than snaring a band like Astriaal, themselves a truly hallowed name in Australian black metal? In anticipation of the band's next full length (due sometime before the year's through), they've set out to remind us just why they're so treasured.

While you won't quite find me singing Astriaal's praises to heaven and back, they're an essential listen in the Aussie scene if only for their outrageous and seemingly all-pervasive popularity. Everyone else is into them, right? And now Obsidian is offering the opportunity to find out why; 'Renascent Misanthropy', originally released in 2003, has been re-pressed and given a snazzy new look. As far as additional material goes, a live performance of the track Arborescence has been included (recorded from the band's headlining set at the Bloodlust festival in '04), along with several live photographs. It's not enough to warrant re-purchasing the album if you already own it, but every little bit helps.

For the uninitiated - Astriaal play melodic black metal with crisp, clean production and the occasional clean vocals to compliment singer Arzarkhel's usual rasp. The album boasts an almost tangible sense of professionalism, which goes a long way to tiding its listeners over. The slow and foreboding Funeral Procession serves as intro to the sudden blast of Ritual Hate Construct, while elsewhere the instrumental Acquisition of the Stars epitomises the album's several cleaner, more atmospheric moments. If there's criticism to be made (and I do see the grounds), it's that some of the songs tend to sound very similar after a while, but it takes an extremely casual listen to miss the merit inherent in each individually. As such, I'd encourage just about anyone to give this one a chance.

Mike Cross