ALBUM REVIEW: Portals – Astrosaur

The best bands come in threes, and Norwegian post metallers ASTROSAUR are no exception. Since 2017 they’ve peddled a riff-worshipping take on instrumental metal that’s drawn as much from outer space as it has their own vibrant inner creative worlds. Instrumental music is challenging to get right; losing such a focal point as vocals requires finding some other way of holding attention. Thankfully, there’s a glut of bands who know what they’re doing and ASTROSAUR are making a compelling case for being at the forefront of this revival with their third album Portals. 

Opening is just that; a comparatively short piece that echoes the feeling of looking up to the night sky, seeing the stars in its opening serenity. As drum fills cascade in around distorted guitars and the song builds, there’s a sense of pushing outward and upward as the pressure mounts; by the time it culminates in expansive, aggressive strummed chords there’s an impending sense of escaping the stratosphere entirely on a journey to new worlds. That’s followed by Black Hole Earth which, as its name suggests, sounds like the planet below the ship being swallowed whole as the main riff churns and bends. 

One thing Portals does exceptionally well, besides great riffs, is repetition and knowing when to use it. That churning riff in Black Hole Earth does repeat to help pin down the song, both at the opening and its close, while still allowing for an entire journey between. They also have the knack for great melodic hooks. The Deluge’s sludgy beginnings are crushing and seemingly relentless, but it unfurls into a searing melody that’s repeated in different forms, from open chords to staccato notes, throughout. Its midsection in particular lives up to its name as a barrage of rapid-fire riffs are peeled off in quick succession across guitar and bass, threatening to drown the listener under their sheer numbers. 

Reptile Empire is a masterclass in compelling riff-craft, its charging riff powered by explosive drumming and peeks of melody, making sure it loses none of its impact by occasionally devolving into scattered picking. Its rumbling bass underpins every twist and turn, the song itself one of the shortest at a hair over four minutes meaning the repeated guitar patterns never lose their neck-snapping impact. The pièce de résistance, though, has to be closer Eternal Return, whose 23-minute plus sprawl encompasses all that’s come before in its mammoth runtime that takes up a full half of the album. More serene beginnings into hummable, earworm melodies, churning groove and powerhouse drumming; it’s all here and sounds way bigger than the three members making it. 

Simply put, then, Portals is as its name suggests: a way into the outer reaches of the solar system, always grasping for the stars. ASTROSAUR have created something expansive that rewards multiple listens to hear every nuance, every detail they’ve carefully laboured over, as well as, quite simply, to hear otherworldly riffs that’ll plain blow your mind. In a scene rapidly becoming crowded with quality, they’ve got an identity and sound all their own, and one that needs to be heard. 

Rating: 8/10

Portals is set for release on November 18th via Pelagic Records.

Like ASTROSAUR on Facebook.