StarGazer – Psychic Secretions

Label: Nuclear War Now! Productions
Release date: 01.02.2021

It’s been a while since I heard any new StarGazer and chancing upon ‘Psychic Secretions’ got me excited. The band has been around for twenty five years but it was their magnum opus ‘Scream That Tore the Sky’, released in 2005, that got the underground buzzing with their esoteric brand of blackened death metal. Since then, these Aussies have churned out three full-lengths and a host of singles and demos. ‘Psychic Secretions’ is their most recent effort and it further stamps the band’s authority in the annals of Australian underground metal.

If you’re unfamiliar with StarGazer, then expect progressive death metal played through a black metal filter, all while having very jazzy basslines. Whether you call it avantgarde or progressive extreme metal, it’s up to you. Any comparisons to past or present bands would be a disservice to the band. The band’s sound stands on its own. On listening to ‘Psychic Screams’, one instantly recognizes that this is something that would come from the band’s stable. The incredible range of switching from technical guitar wizardry to blast-beats to melancholic slow tempo passages to ritualistic ambient moments, all make StarGazer very unique.

No two tracks are similar and the band experiments with different structures almost as if they intend to take the listener on different journeys. I’d like to describe the songs that were my highlights. ‘Lash of the Tytans’ starts off with a melodic doom-y intro but soon rips into a verse laden with blast-beats before slowing down to a more double-bassy melodic chorus. ‘Hooves’ features warm drone-y riffs which will send you into a trance only to be woken up by the double-bass as the song gathers momentum. The ‘All Knowing Cold’ plays around with plenty of ideas. It’s a beautiful mess with eccentric guitar melodies, bass passages and ends with a chant, probably to conjure something ghastly. I love it and it’s my favorite track on the album.

The musicianship is masterful. If you’ve been a fan of the band (I wear my StarGazer metal pin proudly on my jacket), masterful musicianship is something you naturally expect. In that sense, ‘Psychic Secretions’ doesn’t disappoint. If you’re looking for “weird” riffs, StarGazer’s got your back. Denny Blake, aka the Serpent Inquisitor, crafts out unworldly riffs while also ensuring they fit the song structures. Alan Cadman, aka Khronomancer, is the new drummer in the band and he does not allow a single dull moment to slip through. I have to commend the bass work though. It’s gorgeous and it sounds effortless as it sits on top of the mix on each track. To be honest, without the sweeping basslines and the over the top flurry of bass notes, this album wouldn’t be the same. Damon Good, aka the Great Righteous Destroyer, does a great job here.

I can’t think of any flaws in this album. Perhaps for new listeners, it can come off as a bit dense. The songs, while unique in their own regard, have a lot going for them individually. Heck, there’s more in one StarGazer track than in entire albums put out by bands these days! This could be a hindrance to the casual listener though. It took at least a couple of listens for me to unpack everything in ‘Psychic Secretions’ and begin to appreciate it. It’s worth the wait. StarGazer was never meant to sound accessible and I trust it has been the band’s vision to craft the weirdest sounds. StarGazer’s music is an experience which requires multiple immersions and I highly recommend it if you’re looking for good old school progressive death/black metal.

Line up:

• The Great Righteous Destroyer — Bass, vocals
• The Serpent Inquisitor — Guitars, vocals
• Khronomancer — Drums

1. Simulacrum
2. Lash of the Tytans
3. Evil Olde Sol
4. Star Vassal
5. Hooves
6. The Occidental Scourge
7. All Knowing Cold
8. Pilgrim Age

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