Fuzzy, proggy bliss from Sweden
As title’s go, you have to admit, it’s pretty simple to see where Sweden’s Asteroid are coming from. Following on from their debut, “Asteroid” and album number two (betcha can’t guess what that was called?) “III” is the three-piece’s third full length album since forming just over a decade ago.
The description of the band is enough to prick the interest: “Treading the same murky waters found in some of the more menacing moments of Led Zeppelin’s back catalogue, combined with their love for the tripped-out prog of Pink Floyd and raw energy of Howlin’ Wolf.” It says. Now, usually you can take these things more than a small pinch of salt. In the case of Asteroid, though, it is just about as accurate as can be.
Opener “Pale Moon” is from the more blissed out end of things. Indeed, it takes about three minutes before any vocals happen at all, instead it prefers to get in the equivalent of a musical hammock and spend a lazy old afternoon in the sun. While it does, though, there is a mellifluous and quite superb guitar line from Robin Hirse, which elevates the song into some other realm.
Furthermore – and this is meant as a compliment – there is nothing remotely modern about either it, or indeed any of the other six songs that “III” has to offer. Indeed, if you didn’t know it was coming out this year, you would be forgiven in assuming it was actually something from the long lost archives that labels specialise in helping see the light of day.
“Last Days” is even better. A slower, more deliberate, bluesy riff, trading vocal harmonies as if there is no tomorrow (and actually if you think about the line “death will come/he always does/for each and every one us” that might be literally true.
“Till Dawn” is a little more Sabbath obsessed than the others – check out the “War Pigs” esque opening – while new drummer Jimmi Kohlscheen anchors the brilliantly primal “Of Wolf An Snake” in fine fashion, while the chorus here is an absolute killer.
“Silver And Gold” is something of a contrast. Short, at just three and a half minutes, its menace is a brooding, unsettling one, while “Them Calling” is more or less a duet, and sees the band “standing at the gates of hell” waiting for Satan himself to turn up. If he does, he’ll find some cracking stuff to put on the stereo. Mind you, by the time “Mr Strange” which has a kind of swaggering swing about it, has done its work then you would be hard pressed to ignore it either.
A brilliant gem of a record. There is something wonderfully understated about “III”. It could, if it wanted, have gone off into all kinds of heavier waters, that it doesn’t is to its eternal credit. Melody is the thing here and it helps Asteroid deliver something very special.
Rating 9/10
