Astralborne: A Backyard Uprising

When Ohio melodeath trio ASTRALBORNE was picked up by Prosthetic Records, bassist/vocalist Paul Fuzinski and his bandmates thought it was a joke. “We got an email and we thought it was fake,” he laughs. “That’s what we said. We sat around and joked while recording ‘wouldn’t it be hilarious if we got signed?’ A week later we got the email and after it finally hit us, we knew it was total fate.” The band self-released their debut record, Eternity’s End, last year, but now that it’s been re-released, the more ears will finally be on this behemoth of a record. “We’re stoked on the reach the album is gonna get,” Fuzinski continues. “We’re just a bunch of dummies who like to hang out and drink beer and grill. I literally live in a cornfield. We never thought this would happen.”

Getting together during the hiatus of two separate bands, Fuzinski connected with HAMMER HORDE drummer Jayson Cessna and guitarist Derik Smith, who already had the record in a demo state. “Jayson and I were hanging out a lot and the drummer in my band [BLOOD OF THE PROPHETS] had shattered his clavicle,” Fuzinski explains. “He said their band wasn’t doing anything and they asked if I wanted to record on the record with them.” After explaining that they were also looking for a full on singer/bassist, the fit seemed only natural. From there on, Fuzinski described the making of the record as “a blast.” “Those guys are just encyclopedias of metal.”

That statement is evident considering the record itself. “Eternity’s End is a record that strikes red hot through its entire runtime. Beyond incredible guitar work and riff construction, the vocals are brutal and guttural and the absolutely thunderous rhythm section hits like a jackhammer. Every song is a blast and features some of the best guitar harmonies heard on any melodeath record in some time. Tracks like Centuries (In Agony) and the massive and epic Eternity’s End are perfect encapsulation of what the band brings to the table, taking the best and most melodic parts of the melodic death greats, combined with the crushing riffs of LAMB OF GOD, and some of the most brutal death growls heard from a young band in the genre.

Though a lot was in place before his arrival from his bandmates, Fuzinski added his creative input on all aspects of the record, especially on the record’s numerous acoustic interludes found within multiple songs. “Derik and Jayson are the writers and they know what they’re doing, but I suggested things to try,” said Fuzinski. “We just had to do what fit. A lot of the stuff that was acoustic started as bare bones acoustic medleys. I’m a huge sucker for acoustic guitar, and I just had a nice acoustic laying around and they took it from there. We liked putting it in wherever we could, but it all happened so gradually.”

One notable aspect of the band’s recording of the record is their willingness to show the behind the scenes and motivation behind both the instrumentation and lyricism. There are a myriad of videos on the band’s social media and YouTube, and it harkens back to an era where behind the scenes documentation was widespread among many bands in metal, large and small. “Two weeks ago I sat and watched every OPETH behind the scenes documentary,” Fuzinski remarks. “We grew up on docs like that, and we love music DVDs.” He added that it wasn’t even a thought if the band should record their process, and he believes it adds a whole new layer to the band’s music and image for current and prospective fans. “We love messing around with cameras so we’re always filming,” Fuzinski adds. “It breaks down those barriers. Growing up, I was terrified to meet metal bands because they were icons to me. I met LAMB OF GOD once and I was super nervous. They’re just normal guys, and so are we.”

It’s that quality of approachability that will help propel ASTRALBORNE even further. With a new record deal and a growing attention from the press, these ordinary guys with extraordinary talent are sure to continue making a big splash. But with the climate in the world today, and at the beginning of extraordinary social changes in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests across the planet, Fuzinski and the rest of ASTRALBORNE know that their own community should be a reflection of the music world, and the country as a whole. “In Toledo, it’s a mixed community of every race,” Fuzinski says. “Our stance is we’re totally against racism and we won’t stand for it. Heavy metal is all counter culture music and everyone should be standing out against it because, duh, what else would you do.” He continues, “any genre needs to check themselves morally. The fact that it’s still happening nowadays is so disheartening, but everyone needs to be on the same page. And we hope there’s real change.”

These Toledo guys, who were born in the backyard and love nothing more that drinking, grilling, and hanging out, have not only cemented their place with one of the best melodeath records to come out this year, but also serve as a reminder that normal folks like them will continue to change the face of metal, and the world, for the better.

Eternity’s End is out now via Prosthetic Records.

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