Well-polished debut EP for Irish rockers Astralnaut

By Jamie Casey –

Having only formed late last year, Irish doomsters Astralnaut have wasted no time in piecing together their hard-hitting, riff-fuelled debut EP “Back To The Bog.”

Opening with the EP’s title track, this is a hard rock creation, but “Back To The Bog” is about as radio friendly as it gets, duping first-time listeners with its groovy, dirty feel ahead of its epic successors.

However, the beard-heavy quintet, formed and based in County Armagh, really hit home in the seven-minute sludgefest Behold, which reveals the band’s true, stoner-influenced sound and sets the tone for the remainder of the release.

Here, frontman Thomas Mallon’s voice, no doubt smoothened and nurtured by the 26-year-old’s love for Buckfast Tonic Wine, hits its peak, while backing vocalist and rhythm guitarist Pearse Donnelly offers plenty in reserve.

Intertwined with a speech sampled from Sidney Lumet’s 1976 film Network, penultimate track G.U.P.I really captures Astralnaut’s frustrations amid economic crisis in Ireland, with lead axeman Gary Treanor excelling through creatively controlled aggression.

Mallon is again in top form on the third track, which embarks on a psychedelic, bluesy two-minute interlude before a crashing return to the band’s metal roots, much like being sweet-talked before taking a punch in the face, albeit with the utmost sincerity.

The five-piece, with Stephen Todd on drums and Damo Harvest on bass duty, further emphasise their passion for all things cinematic on closing track Live For Nothing, which opens with a sample ripped from the horror classic The Devil Rides Out.

Over eight minutes of doomified belligerence ensue, as Live For Nothing rounds off a well-polished introduction for Astralnaut, who plan to venture beyond their homeland later this year in support of their boisterous debut EP.