Saturday 30 May 2015

Stars That Move - S/T (Album Review)

STARS THAT MOVE cover art

Album Type: Full Length
Date Released: May 26th 2015
Label: Twin Earth Records/Stone Groove Records

Stars That Move – S/T - Track Listing:

1.I HOLD A GAZE 02:44
2.THE BLUE PRINCE 03:45
3.FROM EAST TO WEST 03:32
4.A NATIONAL ACROBAT 04:37
5.THE HIDDEN HAND 03:29
6.SHE THAT RULES THE KING 02:52
7.NO EVIL STAR 00:38
8.BURNING IN FLAMES 03:48

Stars That Move Members:

Elisa Maria
Richard Bennett
Frank Sikes

Review

Stars That Move is a new band featuring members from another great Psych Doom Metal band called Starchild. Though Stars That Move are a great band in their own right. They've just released their superb S/T debut album that will appeal to fans of 70s Hard Rock and Doom Metal. It's a trippy and psychedelic offering that has shades of Black Sabbath running through it's veins.

Opening track – I Hold A Gaze – is a doomy atmospheric offering with psychedelic guitars and intricate drumming setting the scene before the finely tuned vocals of Elisa offer a calming influence as the song builds to a psych doomy climax that instantly draws you in.

Second Track – The Blue Prince – carries on the 60s/70s Psych Rock worship with Elisa once again offering finely balanced blues tinged vocals for a tale that ventures into Cosmic/Space Rock projectory. The guitars are dripping with FUZZ and a ton of reverb feedback as the band leave you wanting more from this track. It's one of my fave tracks from the album and I wished it went on slightly longer. Oh well, there's still 6 more great songs to listen to.

Third Track – From East To West – is a more straight forward Psych Doom song as the band offer a more direct approach. The fuzz from the opening two tracks are gone and is replaced with a song that feels like it was recorded live. Elisa is on fine sultry blues rock form once more as the band weave magical riffs around Elisa to build upon. It's a majestic offering where the guitars become the main focus towards the end of the song.

Fourth Track – A National Acrobat – didn't excite me as much as the other tracks. Yeah it's a powerful song but something didn't quite gel with me this song. It doesn't seem to get started and that' a shame as I was digging the whole vibe of the album before this song. It's a good thing that Stars That Move return to winning ways on the 5th track – The Hidden Hand – a slow-paced bluesy doom and gloom affair that sees the band play another one of the albums standout tracks. The vocal delivery from Elisa is top-notch and is matched against the finely tuned instrumental work that offers one of the albums most exciting songs to emerge yourself with.

The band have created a fantastic video to accompany this song. It features clips from 1979 craptastic – so bad it's good – sci-fi flick – Starcrash. Check it out for yourselves.


The remaining 3 songs on the album offers more passionate vocals from Elisa and more stirring riffs from the rest of the band as this album closes off in style with the slow-paced acoustic tale – Burning In Flames. This song shows a tender and caring side to Stars That Move as they offer a more reflective and emotional song. Stars That Move have created a hard rocking and deeply moving album that will offer Psych Doom Metal fans a thrilling ride from start to finish.

Words by Steve Howe

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