Ad Astra
Self-Released, 2023
8/10
The brainchild of the multi-instrumentalist, producer and engineer George Grant, Black Rose Burning also uses Luis Infantas and Frank Morin for these 9 goth fueled tracks.
The buzzing and harmonic textures of the title track opens the listen with a thumping, post-punk flavor buried in the rock climate, and “Think Too Much” follows with Morin’s gritty guitar alongside Grant’s expressive voice and throbbing bass that touches on alt-rock ideas.
“Fight!” and “So Cold” occupy the middle spot, where the former recruits synthwave nods to the strong attention to mood, while the latter is more rooted in modern indie-rock moments of noisy melody that make great use of Infantas’ drumming.
Landing near the end, the dynamic qualities and dreaminess of “Stranger” makes this one of the album’s best, and “Per Aspera” exits darkly tuneful, where a slight droning amid the swirling musicianship won’t go unappreciated.
This is Black Rose Burning’s 3rd record, and the expanded guitars and analog help really do illuminate the punk/goth/synth/shoegaze friendly songs that resonate with intrigue.
Travels well with: Harry Stafford- Bone Architecture; CR & The Nones- The Ghosts Are Coming