Here’s an excellent New Wave of British Heavy Metal style retro concept album with a side-order of progressive elements. Starscape are on to a winner here with Colony.
So well done with the early Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Angelwitch, Tytan and White Spirit stylistic mixture. I can even hear a little Uriah Heep and Van Der Graaf Generator as well. Marvellous.
Starscape is Swedish due Per-Olaf Goransson and Anton Eriksson. Colony is their debut album. It’s so refreshing to listen to something so retro and enjoyable.
Sure, it’s an overdone, cheesy concept – but that adds to the charm. The planet in environmental trouble, off they go in to space to look for a new home, find one, things go bad, off they set back in to space to scout around for somewhere else.
What about the music. The recipe of retro NWOBHM with the healthy dollop of prog is superb. We have the unmistakable Maiden style galloping chops and bass. Sin After Sin period Judas Priest clipped riffs, the progressive leanings of Tytan and White Spirit and the interjection of keys and an organ prog it up a bit further.
With the build up in to opening track (Pilgrims of the Stars) you’d be forgiven for thinking you were listening to Iron Maiden then it extends in to what Tytan might have done back in the day. Some tide guitar work going on too also with they understated keys and a growling bass.
Talking of growling bass – more of that on Interstellar as that chugs along with the short, cutting riffs.
On to Colony. This one speeds along very nicely with a strong NWOBHM vibe. Have a listen:
A New World slows things down a bit having something of a brooding feel to it then Not Built By Human Hands rocks things back up with menace – fitting given the shock our intrepid travellers have on finding someone’s got there before them – and an excellent guitar solo.
Structures is an instrumental with plenty going on before we get in to the epic ten minute closing track of Towards the Unknown. Monster NWOBHM/progressive metal here. Lots of great organ work reminds me of Van Der Graaf Generator and the expansive nature and length of the song give plenty of opportunity for Starscape to show their chops – and show they do as the punchy riffs and guitar work merge in to a grand finale. Monster stuff.
And the final line of Towards the Unknown suggest the story doesn’t end here. Perhaps there’s more to come in future albums.
For those of you like myself who prefers a CD – act fast because there’s only 500 of them. I got mine as usual via Sonic Age Records (https://sonicagerecords.com) so get there quick before they sell out.
For those of you who prefer the new-fangled digital stuff, it is available via Amazon Music: https://amzn.to/3dliIiA
With Colony, Starscape have treated us to a superb slab of retro-NWOBHM style goodness with the proggy bits adding nicely to the mix. Retro-modern indeed….! And a highly recommended listen.