Weirding

Astra | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (June 23, 2009)
• Original Release Date: 2009
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Metal Blade
• ASIN: B00279DLEY
• In-Print Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,951 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. The Rising of the Black Sun

2. The Weirding

3. Silent Sleep

4. The River Under

5. Ouroboros

6. Broken Glass

7. The Dawning of Ophiuchus

8. Beyond to Slight the Maze

Editorial Reviews

No Description Available.
Genre: Popular Music
Media Format: Compact Disk
Rating:
Release Date: 23-JUN-2009

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars new old style prog rock, July 9, 2009

By 

Angelo Coiro "angelo coiro" (denver colorado) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Weirding (Audio CD)

If you like early 70's prog rock like Kansas, ELP, Camel,Eloy, Early Genesis, you'll most likely enjoy this.
Loaded with analog keys, and smooth guitar playing, this is a good cd to close your eyes and drift away with the music. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Just the start of something better, July 25, 2009

By 

jalcruces (Las Cruces, NM) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Weirding (Audio CD)

The Weirding was recorded in a garage, and sounds like it. But if you are into 70's Prog rock, this should add to the aura. Astra's freshman attempt is mesmerizing in a nostalgic sort of way for those of us who were alive in the 70's and loved the progressive music of the day with it's melloton induced head spins. We saw no reason for it to disappear. It's nostalgic, only because it did disappear... for the most part. With a new generation, perhaps it's back, and here to stay, for a whole new generation to enjoy without having to have glimpses of the past. Astra's "The Weirding" is a bold attempt to slice into that not so musical mayhem that is Brittney Spears and 50 cent. An attempt to bring real music to the fore and perhaps musicianship to our ears. My only complaint.... the drums are bit lacking and are monotonous and annoying.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't believe the naysayers. . ."The Weirding" is excellent!, May 31, 2010

By 

Exwag (Iowa City, IA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Weirding (Audio CD)

As a serious old-school progger (I am not a big fan of prog with hyphens, like "prog-metal" or "neo-prog" or "crossover-prog" or whatever), I am very picky about what passes off as prog today. To me, it necessarily means at least some long songs, some degree of instrumental prowess or at least creativity and exploration, the use, generally, of old-school synthesizers, mellotrons, electric pianos, etc. I realize this is not everyone's definition but by way of introduction, it is mine. Astra has made a very classic-sounding prog record here (down to the sound, which is NOT "bad" as some have characterized it, just not "modern" in the sense of being overly compressed, overly loud, overly processed, and overly overdubbed---it's a good, clean, early 70s sounding record). The songs are good, with lots of melody in both the vocals and the instrumental parts, some nice, spacey jamming (Astra is more, say, Pink Floyd or Caravan than they are Genesis or Yes, in this respect), and delicious use of some Moogs and Mellotrons. In some parts too, in evokes Black Sabbath's more prog moments (let's not forget that in England they were on the Vertigo label initially). Sure, it's derivative----that see-sawing Mellotron part in the title track is an inversion of a similar one in King Crimson's "Cirkus", "Beyond to Slight the Maze" is a rewrite of parts of Pink Floyd's "Echoes"----but that's kind of the point of the band, to evoke a particular period and style of rock that many of us love, and that few bands play today. If you dig "Meddle", "In the Court of the Crimson King", and late-60s Moody Blues, I think you'll really enjoy Astra. Support an up-and-coming band---remember that many of our faves did not make their masterpiece records until their 3rd or even 4th try (e.g., Genesis, Yes). Enjoy "The Weirding" now, and let's see what these San Diego boys can come up with next!