Astray - Friends From Moon (Review)

Profound albums like Dream Theater’s “Images and Words” or Opeth’s “Still Life” had something in common besides their music - the concept, which prevails throughout the entire run-time. Thus, a concept album is not an album, it's a journey towards the transcendental entity of the character portrayed. "Friends from Moon" is the solo project of an Indian musician Ritwik Shivam, a moniker which was inspired by his first hallucination trip under a full moon. It was born out of his vision to construct a world where every broken soul could dive and feel a certain strength and acceptance. Inspired and influenced by sounds of the world, a few prominent styles that can be heard in his music are Prog/Symphonic Metal, Alternative Rock, Soundtrack and Electronic/Ambient Music. The debut album “Astray” is officially out now to bless our ears.

Beginning the album with a groovy riff always catches my attention, and “RAGE ON” does exactly that, setting the tone for the entire journey. The vocals are the distorted fry type ranging from mids to highs. The breakdown and the outro brings a new flavor of ambiance that stays consistent through the rest of the songs. The lyrics play a very important part in this concept album as this song introduces the protagonist of the story, a troubled dreamer. The intro to “REBELLION ROAD” has the 4/4 drum beat consisting of just the hi-hats, snare and kick which is encompassed by a guitar melody that overall is reminiscent of any classic AC/DC song. This song solidifies the ambient rock sound the collaborating artists all tried to portray through the album. Rebellion Road builds on to the story of the protagonist by adding a layer of melancholy as the songs connect seamlessly with each other.

Heavily influenced from modern era Opeth and Porcupine Tree, “THE ENEMY” delivers a revelation of the protagonist as he begins his search for eternal knowledge. The grooves and the hard hitting drums push him forward whereas the chorus seems to tether him back to reality.

Who doesn't love a song that begins with subtle hints of Eastern, Indian Classical melodies and progressions? “ASTRAY” sets the tone right this being the title track, with the lyrics explaining how the protagonist is feeling inside the depths of his mind when he's going so boldly where nobody dared to go before in thirst for knowledge, thus endangering himself. The song ends with a distorted, uncomfortable chime of a grandfather clock as if to notify him. “COME TOGETHER” one warns the protagonist of the dangers ahead with an eerie turntable effect and drums, accompanied by a homage to The Beatles' song of the same title, using its ever famous chorus to serve the purpose of a red flag in this concept.

“MARVELS BEYOND MADNESS” - The H.P. Lovecraft influence on this track is apparent from the first second as well as the title, with multiple sounds converging around the protagonist. From scratches to sirens to locomotives, this makes me envision a realm of one of the Elder Ones from Lovecraft's creations, a labyrinth in which he faces his inner demon. Marvels Beyond Madness is definitely the marvel of the entire album as it captures the essence of cosmic horror mixed with metal perfectly. The grooves and drums hit you as the battle between the protagonist and the entity within him rages on.

“RIVERINE” is a sweet ballad with nylon strings and soothing keyboards layered with harmonized vocals that marks the post battle scenery with beautiful colors. The protagonist is weary and he is bidding his farewell to us, the listeners in a melancholy that shadowed him during the entire tale. The sound of river water flowing brings tranquility followed by the outro which brings back the distorted guitars. “OF THE SPIRIT” transitions from the metal sound to a completely different, orchestrated soundtrack was something really unexpected, yet necessary to end the tale of the protagonist. The only instrumental track of the entire album, Of the Spirit closes off the book with a bittersweet, melancholic taste to me.

Astray" is a tragic tale of a youthful man and his encounter with formidable portions of his own personality which he succumbs to. The central theme is the character’s identity crisis and the need for belonging. Every thought and every motive of the man is subconsciously spurred by that. There is an impending doom which is caused by him feeding the darker shades of his personality which eventually consume him. A conceptualized story portrayed well through the profound instrumentation combined with the musical prowess of Ritwik Shivam, “Astray” will definitely stay with you for a long time. 

Rating: 3.8/5.0

Website: https://www.facebook.com/friendsfrommoon

Genre: Progressive Metal

Worldwide Release: April 15th, 2022.