Stumbling among the agonies and ekstasis of impious sensorial exploration one can only carry back-with the plainest nature of sensations in ear. Unbelievable elemental distortions of time and perceived space should arguably carry detailed information in order to catch the ear but this does not guarantee believable conveyance of experience. In the curious case of the third and now most forlorn full-length album from Basel, Switzerland-based black/doom metal act Ashtar having gone rogue, or, solo in spirit amplifies the sensation of weirding, uncertain doom as they narrate tales which are defeatist yet romanticist at once. The forces of feminine nature and personal singularity are suggested as the buoyancy which helps to keep ‘Wandering Through Time‘ from amounting to complete and utter despairing doom, an important juxtaposition which keeps their textural wonderland alight and aligned despite this pointedly dark turn taken.

Ashtar formed as a duo circa 2012 by way of vocalist/bassist Witch N. (Shever) and drummer/guitarist M.L. (ex-Phased) as they tasked themselves with striking out on their own with a fairly unique gloom-stricken sludge/doom metal style they’d hybridized with atmospheric black metal aesthetics. Already tested and capable enough to begin working on professional grade full-lengths, the duo would take just a few years to arrive upon their first LP (‘Ilmasaari‘, 2015) where the reaction from the public variously pegged their sound as either sludge-adjacent or simply black/doom metal depending on the observer. From my point of view squarely simplifying their wrathful yet crestfallen moodiness and meandering melodic pieces down to a sub-genre combination doesn’t necessarily make an argument for a unique sound but black/doom metal fans will appreciate the modern touch of that first album and its heavier equivalence on their second LP (‘Kaikuja‘, 2020). Steady movements between slow and low sludge/doom metal riff progressions and ramps up into faster black metal pieces primarily worked for the sake of how they’d woven each piece into eerie reveal or droning surrealism, a complimentary act for fans of both realms rather than a compromise.

For album number three Ashtar becomes a solo act and they’ve marked this change with a sharper band logo, a different style of cover artwork, and a bit more of a black/doom metal focused admixture per a sparse yet still warmed production value. All but one piece on ‘Wandering Through Time‘ appear to have been solely written by N. (“Deep Space and High Waters” being the exception) yet the album hasn’t lost the touch of M.L. entirely as he provides the drums, engineering and additional guitars for this album. If nothing else the tone of their work has shifted to a darker place, much in the way that ‘Kaikuja’ was barren and hateful compared to ‘Ilmasaari’, but this time around there is less of a connection to post-metal/sludge dramatics with a more traditional doom metal built rhythmic skeleton and a distinct focus on menacing, consistently mid-paced builds. At a glance I’d personally found this to be the most grim, rawly depressive work from the band to date but it is not a bloodless cyclone of dread and dysthymia.

Opener “Into the Gloom” arrives as advertised, a slow and dirging entrance which eventually picks up a bit more speed at the midpoint. Taking influence from the most ancient sludge/doom metal dirges and their dry hypnosis (see: their cover of Post Mortem‘s “I Want to Die”) Ashtar‘s sense of movement seems to have evolved towards a bit of the listless groan of early Alastis but also a black metal forward range as the song moves through its point of stirring pace at the ~4:10 minute mark with an obsessive stroke to its rhythm. As an opening piece it sets the tone and I suppose nearly belabors the point in presenting a colder, darker side to the band which still arrives with a certain rhythm warmth thanks to strong production values and render. “The Submerged Empire” initially picks up that dirging feeling with a sort of “Let the End Begin” moment before quickly breaking into some of the nastiest, crispiest vocals on the album. For my taste this is where the engine finally turns on and the body of the album begins to consistently catch my ear with its intensity. As the violins hit ~3:55 minutes into the song and the big crescendo toward the finale of the song finally takes off I’d been most sold on sticking it out with this album and digging through its wares for more moments like that. Fortunately most every piece on the album has some manner of interest which rouses and enriches with each listen.

The aforementioned “Deep Space and High Waters” is of course a standout the main verse rhythm guitars have a beautiful darkwave melt to their repetitive phrase, inspiring run-on thoughts and a certain melodic value to the drone of the piece. I’d had this particular song stuck in my head for at least a week before I began focusing a bit more on the others, simple as its effect is it’d been enough of a forlorn landslide to have reverberated throughout my time with Ashtar. The only misstep on the album is “Voices (Collide Again)” which is certainly poetic in its spoken lyrics, jaw harp and crackling fire yet it’d felt unrelated to the moment, setting me down in a swamp to rest the ole bat wings for a couple minutes too long. From there I believe “Summoning the Dryads” has the potential to be additive to the full listen when examined closely for its similar rhythms and effects-laden guitar noise but it doesn’t stand out as much as the bulk of Side A.

Perhaps just as questionable to some, the aforementioned cover of late 80’s Massachusetts-area thrash/metalpunk crew Post Mortem‘s ~12 minute sludge-advent piece “I Want to Die” (off of the classic ‘Coroner’s Office‘) ends up being a sizable chunk of the album here. I not only love the material referenced but I enjoyed this version as a closer for how well it matched the toiling mood of the record; Though I’ve enjoyed each of Ashtar‘s releases to date there is a certain earnest edge to this one which might not make up for a few overstated moments on the running order but did find me coming back to meditate within the contemplative misery of ‘Wandering Through Time‘ often. A high recommendation.

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