Crawling from the depths of sanity meeting insanity, Asterous is a Vancouver-based dynamic duo creating songs that blur the lines of good versus evil, growth versus destruction, and emotion versus apathy.
Through late nights where the streetlights have been burning for hours, and even clubbers and night owls are thinking about bed, Asterous answers the sacred call to wield their musical weapons; to listen, play, sing, and compose.
With the release of their self-titled EP, 'Asterous,' the five tracks offered up float in their realm of musical revelations. Through elements of feeling and sharing the ‘Aster’ amidst the disaster, listeners can expect vast moods and haunting spirits to surface.
Commencement of the bewildering creation wavers in the mystically proposed soundscapes of “The Fall.” Unleashing an ethereal ambiance that is met with victorious tenors, the futuristic elements that kick off the composition transport your mind to the depths of possibility. Breaking into reverberated guitar riffs poignantly performing notes of triumph, the tightly knit drum patterns seek their way into the musicality in a profound manner.
With vocals that gracefully sweep the soundwaves with conviction, this is the brilliant start to 'Asterous’ sonic voyage of components surfacing from the unknown. Ready to embark, we fall into the lush guitar solo of “The Fall,” as we get swept into a universe that we’re eager to explore.
Taking our attention to ominous elements best served in a flourishing environment of uncanny deception, “Heroes,” heavily sways into the themes of the opening lyric, ‘this is the way the story goes, never meet your heroes.’ Bringing focus to the succession of high-impact energy that greets delicate resonance fostered within this record, the narrative is one that many are familiar with. Holding someone high on a pedestal can only result in expectations to be let down. As the textured layers through the progression of “Heroes,” emits the faults bared by such silliness, the incorporation of foreboding vocals compliments the theme in a unique manner.
Incorporating subject matter of rejecting mass conformity and genre-specific norms, “Murder the Machine,” approaches the wisdom released in the overall sequence of songs in 'Asterous.' Creating an elusive universe that is heavily loaded with enigmatic fortitude is just your average Tuesday for Asterous. For their rapidly growing fan base, it’s the conquering notion that we can fight the system in all ways proposed as long as we fixate upon unity. Conveying such impactful messaging through an energetic fury of metal forward rock, Asterous has us hanging onto the edge of our seats with the amplified growls, guitar solos, and rage that describes the demise of society thinking for themselves.
After the brilliant execution that reigns from the previous records heard, Asterous allows us to settle into their tizzy of tantalizing hues as the elusive atmosphere of “At the Edge,” elopes with authenticity. Through the radiance of an inviting kingdom that hails from the euphonious vocalization, the gentleness of this piece slowly progresses with harmonies, electrifying guitar riffs, and prevalent keys. Creating a unique fusion of origins that ramp up into the honesty we hate to reveal to ourselves, abstract lyrical motifs such as ‘I can’t be trusted to be here on my own. Standing at the edge so many miles from home,’ have us in a frenzy of emotion-filled thoughts that lie within.
Reaching the final song and end of our auditory excursion, the irony laced into the song title given to this piece directly allows it to shine in its order on the tracklist. Sharing a reflective piece of sincerity in the striking layers, we’re gently released back into our day-to-day lives as the escape from reality which is Asterous leaves us with a thought-provoking essence to feast upon in the shimmers of light through a cry for help. “Afterthought,” carries minimalistic instrumentation of major piano chords playing along as the evocative vocalization in its various layers and textures fill the spaces between each note performed in the grand release that is their self-titled EP 'Asterous.'
Congratulations on the release of this project! ‘Asterous,’ takes us through highs and lows as the anticipation never steers us wrong in this composition. What inspired the concept behind this EP?
Thank you very much! This EP was actually heavily inspired by comic books (yes, I am a nerd). The stories, the vivid imagery, the heroes, and the outlandish villains. I think that’s why the EP takes you through so many different emotions because as a band, we expressed ourselves in a way that would capture the mood of a particular character and their journey. Writing from the lens of a fictional character (imagining their lives, traumas, triumphs, and failures) helped us to set a scene, and in general, allowed us to really open up and be free. We also wanted to reflect the surreal stories with our artwork/photos as well as you might notice.
We love the sound that you have created for yourselves! How did Asterous come to be as a dynamic duo? What have you taken away from this debut release?
Thanks again! Asterous came about thanks to the isolation that came along with the pandemic. We had written bits and pieces of music over the years but never seemed to be able to put it all together into something substantial. The time that working from home and isolating afforded us allowed for the intense focus needed to really create and compose. We were able to set up recording spaces at home and could hop in there in the middle of the night (my most creative time apparently), to record. We owe so much to a fabulous producer in Finland through Sonic Pump Studios named, Nino Laurenne. He was absolutely incredible in offering us guidance and great tips on recording by ourselves at home, and we were able to work remotely (and very effectively) together from opposite sides of the globe. He was responsible for mixing our songs with love and care. In fact, he seemed to understand right away that we wanted a BIG European sound…we wanted a mood and emotions! We had difficulty finding this support, or even communication here in Canada. Creating this EP has really allowed us to understand that nobody should ever settle for mediocrity with their creations. Create what you feel proud of, what honestly represents your vision, and don’t conform just because you might not be creating songs that are considered to be, ‘popular’, or what you feel might be a success based on what others are doing. That’s what we really came to understand anyway.
Do you happen to have a specific song that resonates with you more than the other tracks featured on this project?
Personally, speaking for myself (as the lead singer), what resonates with me truly depends on how I’m feeling at any given moment. I love them all for different reasons, like children you can’t choose between. Afterthought is the most stripped-down and raw tune and always hits me right in the heart. Murder the Machine gets me pumped up and feeling aggressive. Heroes just make me want to jump around, and I love the message in the lyrics.
What does this project say about you both as individuals and as a collective?
I think this project says that we are collectively a little, ‘extra’ …lol. We like intricate and elaborate sounds, and weaving many layers into the music. Individually, one of us brings wild creativity and the other brings the essential technical skill. We believe it is a great balance in terms of a partnership and we both possess what the other lacks. Hence the dynamic duo moniker!
Unraveling the deep themes and messages weaved into this body of work, what are you hoping that your audience takes away from this EP in its entirety?
Our hope is that this EP takes people on their own individual journeys. If the music makes the listener feel something…anything (positive or negative) to remind them that they’re not dead inside, that is a great success in our books, (it’s a bonus if the listener can connect the theme of the song to any particular hero or comic book story as well). Thanks so much for the interview, BuzzMusic!