Artist: Astral Spear
Country: Poland
Label: Signal Rex
Formats: 12” EP / CD EP
Year: 2025
No names, no history, just a birthright. Astral Spear is a mysterious new entity from Poland that is about to release its self-titled EP on Signal Rex. And when background facts are absent, the music will do all the talking. And frankly, it speaks abundantly clear that Astral Spear is no band to mess with.
After a short intro ‘On Your Command’ bursts out of the gate in a somewhat gritty and pumping fashion. With piercing vocals and creeping riffs, the haunting and cold ambiance of Astral Spear’s music is evidently based on traditional Norwegian and Polish Black Metal. An undeniable influence of ‘De Mysteriis Dom Sathanas’ and ‘Under a Funeral Moon’, a distinct nod to Cultes Des Ghoules’ ‘Häxan…’, and a clear resemblance with Behemoth’s ‘Sventevith (Storming Near the Baltic)’ is what is written all over the 22 minutes of material.
So what does ‘Astral Spear’ offer? Drums that dictate the versatility in pace, that together with a thumping bass sound accentuate the heartbeat of the music. While a dominant force on ‘Astral Spear’, they often bow their head to make room for emerging layers of guitar riffs that early Mayhem fans will immediately embrace. And the vocals are excellent, raspy with a little echo to them. While many Polish current Black Metal bands venture into more experimental territories, Astral Spear strictly stays on the traditional path, honoring the legacy of the bands from Norway and Poland of the first half of the 90’s. And they do so with passion, pride and conviction.
Strong riffs and melodies, a dominant rhythmic section and piercing shrieks combining into an icy atmosphere. Astral Spear’s debut is bound to please those that hold 90’s Behemoth, Mayhem and Darkthrone close to their hearts. And certainly fans of more contemporary acts like Whoredom Rife and Mare should take notice of this band, as ‘Astral Spear’ offer an excellent homage to 90’s Black Metal.
