Some styles of music and metal aren’t just scarce in quality, they’re just plain scarce. Melodic doom/death in the Finnish style is one such limited sound, as is melodic black metal in the Swedish, Dissectionian tradition. There isn’t just a shortage of good bands peddling these wares, there is a drastic shortage of supply, period. So when a new group comes along with an instant mastery of the style, it’s an extra sweet cherry on top.
Enter Astrophobos. Hailing from Sweden (naturally), they have with debut full length Remnants of Forgotten Horrors, put together the best example of this genre in a good long while. Said style is melodic Swedish black metal, made most famous by Dissection with their pair of classic 90s albums, but continued and rendered more intense by Naglfar on albums such as Diabolical. For the most part, Astrophobos find a great midpoint between the two bands, never reaching the neoclassical waltz tendencies of the former, while never letting their relentless, maelstrom passages take over as with the latter. Also, oodles and oodles of bitchin’ tremolo riffs.
Opener “Soul Disruptor” and the ensuing “Winds of Insanity” (with its scream-along-or-die¬ chorus) really give off the impression that while Astrophobos can nail their chosen approach, they might not have a ton to add to the conversation. Not that these tunes lack in quality; quite the opposite, in fact. They both show off a great knack for weaving harmonies and icicle riffs around haunting chord progressions, but the whole of the album finds great benefit in the band’s ability to meld their influences with other, hidden touches. The first foray into more epic terrain, “Detestable Illumination,” has more than a couple of these additions. At its most savage, it completely passes Naglfar in favor of an almost Absu level of violence, while the sense of dynamics brings bands such as Wodensthrone to mind. These additions provide just the smallest amount of necessary variety, and in turn elevate the rest of the album.
Another thing Astrophobos gets? That finishing with a strong track, if not the best on the album, is always a good decision, folks. Everything comes up aces in closer “Celestial Calamity,” a nine minute journey that shifts from mid-paced, harrowing melodies and acoustic passages to an annihilating chorus featuring the album’s most tortured vocals. The tune hammers down such a sense of impending destiny that it had to come last, and in doing so ensures that Remnants is a full album listening experience.
Most of all, there’s just something so fresh about this stuff. Should there be? Probably not, but a top notch interpretation of an established genre can go a long way in the right hands, especially when those hands fold in a couple hidden flairs. Astrophobos finds a way to deliver the chill and epic nature required of their peers while maintaining a tortured/torturing sensibility. In a genre with just a few classics that are so highly revered, Remnants of Forgotten Horrors is great enough to stand on its own. And that’s even rarer than getting something quality of this ilk at all.
