Blue Aside - Demo (2009)

Today while going through my usual mid-afternoon blog-hopping routine, I ran across a band with the unassuming name of "Blue Aside". The review I'd skimmed through sounded favorable, so I dropped by their myspace page and downloaded their 3 song '09 demo.

It turns out that the project is made up of previous members of Palace In Thunderland (who some of you might know as the truly excellent band that Andy Beresky was a part of before the advent of Black Pyramid) and current members of Psych Rockers Aeolian Race.

Having woken up with a Goatsnake song stuck in my head, and having listened to Burning Saviours all morning, I was, needless to say, well in the mood for some underground doom; but I was honestly unprepared for something this good.

The first song starts in with spacey electronic segway into a simple slow, downtuned doom riff, repetition, repetition, drums further establishing the internal heartbeat of the song, then, out of nowhere, an uplifting cathartic set of leads push through the murk supported subtly in the background by barely-audible keys, then, as they cut out, and a display of Sign-from-Space-era Paul Chain vox kick in, you're set for two minutes of a swirling jouney through star-strafed chasms of breathtaking, scintillating, sweeping cosmic power, before the song ends, and the next intersteller endeavor begins.
Otis' Sun, while in title is an obvious homage to Ken Baluke's band of Canadian Stoner Doom giants, is more in substance a vaguely Floydian seven-minute spacy doom anthem full of soaring leads, heavy, driving rythms, and superbly fitting airy vocals. I fucking love this track.
The final 'bonus' song, "Sound Escapes" (haha, pun-tastic) is about as fittingly titled as can be. It's more or less a 5 minute instrumental backdrop of entrancing Hawkwindish flourishes and otherworldly soundscapes.

So yeah, as soon as I was done listening to this the first time, I scrambled to ask the band if I could host this demo here for you all. They were game, and all I can say in return is-
Mission accomplished with this demo, guys. I can't wait for a full length.

For fans of Doom, Space Rock, Hawkwind, music.
Mediafire
- FeatherofHuginn