While perusing the new releases access available to media for review, I often randomly pick a band to check out. Here, it was the calm serene painting of the tree (yet, with creepy hand-like tree branches) and blue sky that got my curiosity. The music of Kastasyde on the other hand, a different story. Here is one of those cases where the artwork is, in a way, misleading to the music.

In their bio, Kastasyde are mentioned with Mastodon, Acid Bath, Machine Head, and Napalm Death, and a Mastodon does come to mind with the progressiveish changes (and a touch of a Phil Anselmo vocal) during ‘Burial In The Sky’ . With that, Kastasyde play a form of extreme metal, with rhythmic guitars and vocals that use both the yelling and a guttural death voice.

The title track begins peaceful with the clean guitars and mild drum beat, the vocal and movements recall Opeth, but then it switches back to the abrasive guitars and death-like voice. Would have worked much better and cohesive retaining the original vibe at its start. The extremities these type of bands include in the more melodic songs is often counterproductive, and acts more as a clashing of potential cohesively. An un-complimenting juxtaposition. It works for Opeth’s abstract soundscapes, but then again, they don’t have to always include the switch from melodic to harsh within a song. Maybe its just me, but for the ‘Gnosis’ title track would have sounded much better without all the barking and yelling. The singing is much more appealing, see ‘In The Spiral’. ‘Blackheart’ is back to a battery of guitars and forceful vocals, sheer Machine Head aggression, and with those melodic leads and a couple changes for rhythmic variety. ‘Never At Peace’ uses a better vocal, that’s a little harsh and has some melody, a happy medium that would be good elsewhere in songs.