A new album from Australia’s StarGazer is always worth paying attention to for those interested in the more experimental and progressive side of black and death metal, especially considering that it often takes five years or more for a new one to appear. Formed back in 1999, each of StarGazer’s four albums have taken the core aesthetics of black metal and death metal and stretched them out into whirlwinds of fluid riffing and more complex arrangements. For album number four, Psychic Secretions, the band has recruited new drummer Khronomancer to replace Selenium, and while losing one members out of a trio could sometimes result in drastic changes this certainly isn’t the case for StarGazer. Psychic Secretions proves to be absorbing from beginning to end with riffs that pull in the forcefulness of their earlier days with the soaring atmosphere of their more recent material, making this an album worth diving into again and again.
One of the biggest changes on A Merging to the Boundless compared to the band’s previous efforts was a clearer production that still had its fair share of heavier and chaotic moments but allowed the otherworldly melodies and finer details to steal the spotlight. This approach has continued on Psychic Secretions and it may just be the band’s most balanced recording to date. For those who are just discovering StarGazer, the first elements you’re likely to notice are the rumbling bass lines and the fluid nature of the songwriting. Following the softer opening “Simulacrum” which feels like it’s drawing you into the unknown with a twisting melody, “Lash of the Tytans” showcases the type of immense and progressive writing that showcases the group at their best. With soaring guitars and rumbling fretless bass leading the way, StarGazer moves between intense, forceful passages and ones that bring a cosmic and mysterious atmosphere with it all in the span of five minutes. There’s a consistently progressive flair to everything the band does, whether it’s the shapeshifting guitar and bass work or the rhythmic variations of the drums, and stylistically it falls anywhere from classic black, death metal, and heavy metal to everything in between. “Star Vassal” even has a break towards the end where the instrumentation adopts more of a jazz-like sound but run through a metal filter. What gives this material an edge over a lot of the technical and progressive bands that have formed in recent years is the balance between complexity and accessibility, as each song has particular sections that draw you in during that first listen but there are countless small details that are waiting to be discovered with each time through. It’s an incredible experience that still sounds like distinctively like StarGazer but explores additional psychedelic and atmospheric elements alongside the controlled chaos.
The vocals retain a rougher edge for much of Psychic Secretions, coming through in the form of lower pitched growls and some higher screams that reverberate over the recording and sometimes sound like they’re as powerful as the depths of the cosmos. Considering the fluidity of the instrumentation one could see it being easy for the vocals to not fully line up, but StarGazer lets its vocals flow outwards in a similar way that makes each verse have plenty of twists and turns. Towards the end the performance transforms entirely with “All Knowing Cold” incorporating some chanting and “Pilgrimage” softening things up significantly with mournful singing. This is an element that is pulled off particularly well and leaves room for the group to explore further in the future should they choose to, but no matter what ends up happening the somber and mournful tone of this final track showcases that StarGazer never sticks within any particular box when it comes to metal.
This band has often flown under the radar for many, but each of their full lengths has showcased some of the most exciting black and death metal performances. Psychic Secretions is no exception, as it still captures the abrasive and direct nature of the earlier bands in the genre with a forward-thinking and fluid approach to songwriting that takes you on a rollercoaster ride amongst the stars. Over their twenty-five-year career this group has yet to disappoint, and their latest is an easy candidate for album of the year this early into the year. Psychic Secretions is available from Nuclear War Now! Productions.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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