SPIN - "...10-minute-plus prog fantasies like "Ouroboros"
and the title track recall the early '70s heyday of Yes and
King Crimson with uncanny accuracy. But even with their
virtuoso guitar solos and thrillingly labyrinthine song
structures, Astra's songs have a focus--they explore,
but never meander."
MOJO - "The quintet's lengthy gestation period has
resulted in a sublime debut that evokes various '70s
colossi - panoramic Pink Floyd, mellotron-era King
Crimson, Black Sabbath in philosophical mode - without
ever stooping to pastiche....4 out of 5"
Record Collector - "...they make a fine fist of summoning
forth the swirling, magisterial portent so essential to the
genre. The title track, for example – all 15 languidly
unfolding minutes of it – is a glorious collision of King
Crimson’s Epitaph, the Floyd’s Echoes and Planet Caravan
by Black Sabbath. Bubbling wah-wah guitar, with delay
pedal set on “stun”, traces silvery patterns among
solemn Mellotron flutes; a failsafe conduit to bliss.
4 out of 5"
Classic Rock - "ASTRA are spearheading the
Second Wave Of Psychedelic Prog, or SWOPP. The
San Diego band's debut The Weirding(reviewed last
issue) is a full-on, far-out concept record...It's packed
with perplexing lyrics, narcotized noodling and bizarre
song titles..."
Classic Rock - "California's ASTRA are already creating a
stir with this, their reality-fracturing debut album...
these cosmic prog masters have really upped the ante.
8 out of 10"
Classic Rock Presents PROG - "The centrepieces of
The Weirding are without a doubt the epic title track
and the instrumental tour de force that is Ouroboros,
two colossal moments of sonic revelation that are
destined to be future classics."
Classic Rock Presents PROG - "The Weirding is a thing
of peculiarly haunting beauty. With an undeniably 70s
groove tinged by grand passages of melancholy and
kaleidoscopic soundscapes that blur between the realms
of psychedelia and space rock..."
ASTRA News
• ASTRA help to rebuild The Wall. We've recorded our own
unique version of Pink Floyd's Empty Spaces from their
1979 album The Wall for MOJO magazine's December
2009 issue. In this issue, MOJO celebrates the 30th
anniversary of Pink Floyd’s The Wall with an exclusive
re-recording. Find out more here.
• ASTRA are confirmed to play Roadburn 2010 in Tilburg -
Holland! We will be playing on Saturday, April 17th at the
Midi Theatre. One of our all time favorite bands will also
playing the Roadburn 2010 Fest - Comus!!!! They will be
performing their 1971 debut album First Utterance in it's
entirety! Find out more here.
• We're confirmed to play NEARfest 2010 in Bethlehem,
Pennsylvania! So far, the confirmed lineup is ASTRA,
Forgas Band Phenomena, The Pineapple Thief, and....
THREE FRIENDS! Three Friends is a new band(named after
the Gentle Giant album of course) started by 3 members
(Gary Green, Kerry Minnear and Malcolm Mortimore) of the
original and early incarnation of legendary Canterbury
band Gentle Giant! They will be playing the classic Gentle
Giant material as well as some new stuff. We can't wait!
• ASTRA - The Weirding - Nominated in San Diego Music
Awards. Our debut album, The Weirding, on Rise Above
Records, has been nominated for "Best Rock Album" in
the upcoming 2009 San Diego Music Awards.
• ASTRA Spain Pics! Our lovely and talented photographer,
Noa Azoulay-Sclater, has posted the photos she took
documenting our trip to Spain to play the II Festival
de Psicodelia de El Castell de Guadelest. They're all
up on her photo blog at featherlove.com
• We're confirmed to play the Planet Caravan festival in
North Carolina on Sept. 19th with Pentagram and others!
• We're confirmed to play the II Festival de Psicodelia de
El Castell de Guadelest - a 2 day (July 24th/25th)
psychedelic music festival in Alicante, Spain! Bands to include:
ASTRA, Earthless, Witchcraft, The Groundhogs, Colour Haze,
Viaje A 800, Mater Dronic, Dixon II, Mystic Frequency
Worm, Traummaschine + Beiruth, Quid Rides? and more!
• The release date for our debut album: The Weirding will be
May 25 in the U.K. and June 23 here in the U.S. The 2LP version
will include a bonus 7" of 2 of our demo songs: Winter Witch and
Cosmic Wind as well as a poster by Arik Roper!
Issue 2 of Thee Big Black is out now and free to download. In this issue we have live reviews of Sunn 0))) and Alice In Chains, advice for bands on managing their online fan base, tales of the apocalypse, Victorian villainy and much more. Click here to download a free PDF copy
We are always looking for people who would like to contribute to the 'zine, if you would like to tell us about something or get involved either message us at our our Myspace profile or visit our forum and get involved there.
x enchantment down there in Italy. delighte, and we will give it to you too.