LUNASPHERE

"Lunasphere" is the 2nd full-length studio album by Australian progressive extreme metal act Alchemist. The album was released through Thrust/Shock Records in May 1995. While Alchemist debut album "Jar of Kingdom (1993)" showed some promise and did feature a couple of interesting ideas, it´s low budget and powerless sounding production and imature songwriting pulled it back down to earth again. However the band changed labels between "Jar of Kingdom (1993)" and "Lunasphere" and from the sound of it, received more funds to record and produce their sophomore album.

Stylistically the music on "Lunasphere" is a type of progressive extreme metal which draws influences from both thrash and death metal as well as post punk/rock in the vein of Killing Joke and their ilk. There´s also an ethnic influence in the music as well as several rather psychadelic elements. A really interesting cocktail that actually works well most of the time. The music is predominantly guitar driven and it´s a great joy to listen to how the two guitarists Adam Agius (also lead vocals) and Roy Torkington compliment each other. A trademark they would develop on further on subsequent releases. The rythm section are tight and quite adventurous at times. The vocals are harsh but not really growling. They remind me a bit of how Max Cavalera (Sepultura) sounded on "Roots (1996)". A raw, aggressive and shouting vocal style.

The sound production is a bit below standard and it is my major issue with the album but it´s far from unbearable and I´m fully able to appreciate the music even though the production could have been much better. So upon conclusion there are still edges that need cutting on "Lunasphere" but it is a very bold and adventurous album and I greatly respect the band for trying hard to create a unique sound. A 3 - 3.5 star (65%) rating is deserved.

Alchemist are an important and influential figure in the Australian prog metal scene. Thus it was a surprise to me that this excellent album, "Lunasphere" has only seen one review on PA. It's worthy of more attention than that.

I'll state up front that I'm more drawn to the melodic and atmospheric side of Alchemist, but their heavier elements are also very good. These guys are wonderful musicians, make no mistake about it. On "Lunsasphere" there's a great blend of simple melodies, more complex arrangements and an overall sense of spirituality in both lyric and music that are the hallmarks of this band.

After a brutal opening, the first track "Soul Return" transitions to one of those brilliant atmospheric sections mid way through. There's great layering of guitar, bass and synth-like sounds before things ramp up again for an up tempo outro.

A couple of my favourite tracks come in the latter half of the album. "Yoni Kunda" opens with another trait that's very pervasive in Alchemists' music - an eastern flavoured guitar riff. It's instantly memorable and catchy. There's a wonderful sense of momentum about this song as it revolves around that opening riff for the five minute duration. With subtle variations the song stays fresh throughout.

"Garden of Eroticism" starts with an unusual use of percussion and is once again beautifully layered as the other instruments join in. Roy Torkington is in full flight on guitar in this track and its a wonderful thing to behold. In the latter half the spacey atmospherics return and Adam Agius' vocals provide a harsh counterpoint to this dreamy soundscape. He also throws in an unbelievable heavy metal scream to top it off.

Production values are ok, but not brilliant. I would have loved to have seen what these guys could do on a bigger budget for the album. As it stands there's a great raw feeling to "Lunasphere", and having seen them live a couple of times touring for this album in the mid-90s, I can attest that it translates very well to a live performance.

For those new to Alchemist, I would suggest starting with those feature tracks "Yoni Kunda" and "Garden of Eroticism". I'm sure you'll be pleasantly surprised.