Cover shot INTROSPECT
Introspect are a progressive metal band from Sydney, Australia featuring Felicity Jayne (Vocals), Loko McDonald (Guitar), Jamie McVicker (Guitar) and Hugo Rumore (Drums). This is the bands first release that looks to take the listener on a sonic journey:
“Ad Astra is a celebration of the ambitious, exploratory, pioneering spirit of youth. It’s a salutation to those that triumphantly strike out into the terrifying unknown, choosing the hard and lonely path of mastery and individuation, rather than treading known career paths and lifestyles. Going all in on your impossible dreams means a life of isolation and sacrifice, with no guarantee that it will pay off. But for some, it was never an option. They must heed the call. To these astronauts, we say: Godspeed, You Heroes!” Vocalist Felicity Jayne
The EP starts out with a slow roll into some classic progressive sounds, which explores some technical guitar work from Loko and Jamie. You are first introduced to Felicity’s vocals on the title track “Ad Astra”, which starts off with a clean harmony and moves into some layered vocals towards the middle that mesh nicely with the tracks escalating heaviness. The following track “Sovereign” is more ambitious, featuring a guest spot from vocalist Jacob Wilkes (Above, Below) it steps into a heavier realm with a mix of dirty / clean vocals and powerful riffs. The closing tracks return to the softer side, with long sections of clean vocals and chilled keyboard-laden melodies. After a few listens, I thought it would be great to hear a more ambient approach to the clean vocals with a little more refinement in the lyrical content. I also felt the band should be a little more confident with the heavy sections to crank up the brutality, which would really expand the sonic journey. This is definitely a strong first outing for this young band and I look forward to hearing them refine their sound as they mature.
Introspect’s Ad Adstra EP is due out October 18 and can be pre-ordered here
Check out the Ad Astra video below and stay up to date with the band on social media
