The Pitch: Bast is a London-based sludge/doom 3-piece band that fuse a number of styles to create some very atmospheric soundscapes. After a 4 year gap, they are back with Nanoångström via Black Bow Records. FFO: Baroness, Raum Kingdom, They Grieve
What I Like: In a previous review, I heaped some serious praise on Bast's Spectres; describing it as "3 cups doom metal 2 cups post metal 1 quart black metal 1 ½ cups sludge metal 3 Tbsp Tool 1 tsp Fugazi ½ cup Mastodon." Despite nearly 4 years having passed since then, I can't think of a better way to describe the music of Nanoångström. All of those comparisons come across at one time or another over the course of its near hour duration, and the result is something both familiar and strikingly unique. The album is an emotional journey showcasing bitterness, despair, and everything in between. "A Red Line Through Black" in particular has some truly haunting, melancholic vocals to pull the heartstrings.
Critiques: The album as a whole doesn't feel as consistent or free-flowing as Spectres. Part of this seems to be due to changes in both production songwriting. Compared to the massive wall of sound that was Spectres, Nanoångström feels a little flat and lifeless, and in my opinion there's too much emphasis on doom this time around.
The Verdict: On the whole, I'd be lying if I didn't say that Nanoångström feels like a bit of a step backwards. It's far from a bad album; in fact it's quite accomplished in terms of musicianship and intensity. Bast just set the bar extremely high with Spectres, and the differences are both apparent and unavoidable.
Flight's Fav's: Far Horizons, The Beckoning Void, The Ghosts Which Haunt the Space Between the Stars
- Review by FlightOfIcarus
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