Reviewed by Ian Phillips.
By AlithiA, Wildthing Records 2020.
The coronavirus has resulted in many of us being forced to abandon old routines as social distancing has impacted our lives.
For instance, it’s meant that I’ve been forced to search a little further afield than my usual sources for albums which has brought me in contact with material that would normally pass me by.
This album is a case in point.
The music/entertainment industry has been hit particularly hard with live gigs, the lifeblood of the industry, shut down an even recording studio work being severely curtailed.
Melbourne heavy rock band AlithiA (a Greek word meaning Truth) have filled the virus-induced void by releasing a live album that was recorded on 26 November 2018 at Cassiopeia in Berlin.
Astromental is the first album that I’ve heard from them and it’s surprising in a number of ways.
Firstly, it’s fully instrumental which is unusual in itself these days and secondly it blends together a variety of musical styles that range from progressive rock to heavy metal to spaced out psychedelic synth trips and more.
Apparently the band is quite a spectacle when viewed live being renowned for the energy they bring to their performances.
Although that may be the case I found the feel of this album to be more laid back mind trip than head-banger crush.
The concert featured tracks from their two previously released albums To The Edge Of Time (2014) and The Moon Has Fallen (2018) and it was the first recorded work to include the newest addition to the band, guitarist Nyguyen Pham (Circles, Glass Ocean).
He’s an impressive guitarist and his solos punctuate the album.
There’s the mandatory dexterity-defying flashing heavy metal arpeggios one comes to expect but there’s also a lot of delicately textured playing that provides a more nuanced and tasteful, even elegant, feel that adds to the underlying mellow tone of the disc.
AlithiA are a talented group of musicians and, if this album is anything to go by, they’re more than just another metal band.
