One of the front runners of the Italian progressive metal scene, Astra mark their first release for Lion Music with the dazzling “From Within”.  Best described as a mixture of Symphony X, Vanden Plas, early Dream Theater and Queen crossed with some AOR touches; the new album sees Astra delivering an album of high quality from start to finish with a strong accessible punch to the music on offer. Having made a good impression with press worldwide with their debut album “About Me: Through Life And Beyond” (Burning Star Records) the band have honed their style for “From Within” and look set to reach out to a wider audience of prog metal fans worldwide. Possessing a more straightforward progressive metal sound, Ten tracks of musically rich and melodically full metal, “From Within” is ultra powerful in song structure and musicianship all enhanced by an excellent production.  To sum up “From Within” is accessible, catchy and impressive as hell.

2009 Lion Music

In a world where so many go overboard in production and arrangement textures, Rome Italy’s Astra keeps it real within the realm of power/progressive metal. In a scene that is nearly tumultuous these days with massive symphonic arrangements, the cross breeding of extreme metal into prog metal, Gothic elements here and there, and experimentation that has no limits – it’s as if people are forgetting about good songwriting – that’s not so with this quintet, they know how to write great songs. Sure there are instrumental passages, solos, and semi-ambient soundscapes, yet they have substance, where mind is over matter – it’s the melody that is king here, hearkening the days of Images and Words and Rage for Order, but up to speed with modern bands such as Mind’s Eye, Saint Daemon, and Stride.

The tunes here show an abundance of diversity, the lack of redundancy within the arrangements making for a record of skillful and intelligent hooks throughout instead of being this mass of consistent confusion. “Over the Hills” opens up the record with an aggressive feel, executing power-prog prowess to its fullest extent, tracks such as “Hypocrisy” and “Simple Mind” follow this formula, fulfilling the technical element alongside anthemic glory. There are dark moments with both “Hitman” and the emotive “Promises You Made,” as well as laid back balladry on the stripped down “The Rage Behind” and the piano driven “Never Say Goodbye,” where the heart of emotion is pushed to its limits without any sugarcoated factor involved.

From Within is a collection of great tunes (and I say tunes) that strike within the perfect mindset of not only a high quality power/progressive metal record, but within the scope of what could be considered a highly technical minded melodic metal record (as we know how the meaning of prog changes every day). Not only do you have your fair share of soloing from the six strings and the ivories, not to mention the complex rhythms, but there is an abundance of catchiness, arena ready harmonies, and AOR gusto that can’t be beat.