Astra
The Black Chord

The elusive notes of "The weirding" will continue to captivate listeners, transporting them into the mellifluous universe of seventies-signed prog rock. "The weirding" was a true gem: music, class, personality. The Astra exploded in the Californian underground scene, resurrecting the ghost of prog rock. The reworking of King Crimson, Yes, Pink Floyd, and Genesis was complete.

The qualitative and compositional depth of Astra's debut made some cry miracle, at least among the (limited) circles of those who have tasted and known a work that has never received the tribute it deserved. Now, three years later, the five Californians have returned to the studio and released "The black chord". So much anticipation, so much impatience, so many expectations...

The first listen was painful, excruciating. Could there really have been such a backward leap? Perhaps not, or perhaps the expectations tied to the new album were too many to hope for a new masterpiece. Time and repeated listening offer guidance, but they have not been enough to redefine the second psychedelic poetry of the quintet in completely positive terms.

What this "The black chord" lacks is the compositional verve, the solitary escapes that had made "The weirding" a pearl capable of venturing into instrumental meanders from which it became complicated to emerge. In "The black chord" instrumental spaces are not lacking; in fact, they are too present, yet without the incision of the previous platter. The shining example is placed at the opening: the instrumental "Cocoon" aims to be "Ouroboros" but does not remotely reach its strength and effectiveness, although it remains an enjoyable piece with a good atmospheric impact.

The new work seems to dismiss too easily the vocal lines and the voice of Vaughan, also less convincing compared to the past. Astra expose their flank, and despite grandiose compositions, they fail to fully hit the mark. This is the case with the title track, a song perfect in every way, as well as dreamy and with psychedelic and decadent traits, but a poor copy of the "The weirding" masterpiece from the previous CD: identical in length, identical in compositional structure (with the lyrics repeated halfway through the song after a long instrumental trip), but the final result differs in terms of engagement capability and compositional outcome.

Described in these terms, "The black chord" would seem like a diaper of diarrhea: it is not at all. These Astra know their craft and understand the material in which they operate: the gem "Drift" is the precise testament to the competence of these five musicians. Likewise, overall, it is not a terrible work but rather a sufficiently progressive rock CD, diluted by questionable solutions. The proof is "Bull torpis", a useless two-minute guitar sprinkle that takes the form of a filler. Demonstrating how the overall aim has declined.

The second studio album of the American quintet is saved in the corner, but to classify it as a fall in style would be wrong. Most of the groups trying to approach progressive rock should restart by studying Astra, but perhaps it would be better to focus on "The weirding". It's inevitable when you only have two CDs to your name to make comparisons between the two. That's why the long-awaited "The black chord" becomes very small, eclipsing in the face of the spatial infiltrations of its predecessor...

1. "Cocoon" (8:43)
2. "The Black Chord" (14:58)
3. "Quake Meat" (6:39)
4. "Drift" (4:37)
5. "Bull Torpis" (2:55)
6. "Barefoot In The Head" (9:13)