Light and dark eternally eclipse one another. A spark flickers during even the darkest night, and darkness hides behind the sunniest day. We perpetually exist in the middle of these polarities. Traveling at lightspeed between both ends of this spectrum, Astronoid eternally pursue a state of sonic equilibrium, beaming celestially catchy melodies into the gravitational push-and-pull of jackhammering extreme metal, blissfully tense alternative, and effervescent synth-craft. The Boston, MA trio—Brett Boland, Daniel Schwartz, and Casey Aylward—explore heavy topics of mortality and meaning with their fourth full-length LP and biggest, boldest, and brightest salvo yet, Stargod [3DOT Recordings].
“This is the best example of how our music can sound happy, but the undertone of the lyrics can carry a different emotion altogether,” observes Brett. “The further I get into Astronoid, the more I let out of myself. During the time we made the record, we had all experienced the death of someone close. A lot of the themes are based around what was happening in our lives.”
The band have always magnified their experiences into a widescreen-worthy vision meant to universally resonate. Following a handful of EPs, the group delivered the statement-making Air in 2016. It received rave reviews and recognition on year-end lists from Consequence of Sound, Invisible Oranges, LA Weekly, Metal Sucks, and Stereogum who also hailed it as “a total revelation.” They naturally progressed across Astronoid [2019] and Radiant Bloom [2022]. Everything Is Noise hailed the latter as “a spacey, beautiful combination of heavy and ethereal sounds,” and New Noise Magazine raved, “Beyond genres and beyond words, Radiant Bloom is Astronoid’s best album yet.” Their music notably generated millions of streams as they toured alongside Animals As Leaders, Between The Buried and Me, Periphery, Coheed and Cambria, and Cave In. In 2024, Tom DeLonge handpicked the band to open up nine dates on blink-182’s stadium One More Time… Tour after hearing their music at a skatepark.
Along the way, the musicians pieced together what would become Stargod, working out of the frontman’s basement. Brett, Daniel, and Casey weathered a series of personal ups and downs as they processed the aftermath of losing loved ones—including Brett’s mother-in-law.
“It was a tumultuous season,” he sighs. “A lot of fans asked, ‘Where did Astronoid go?’ Well, we were dealing with life.”
In the studio, Astronoid stretched the scope of their signature style. Inspired by Van Halen’s 5150 as well as classics from Depeche Mode, INXS, and Pet Shop Boys, Brett borrowed an analog synthesizer from Dan and architected the framework for Stargod. He also jumped from drums to bass to guitar, shaping every dimension. Playing early demos for DeLonge made a big difference.
“The synths gave me another outlet,” Brett goes on. “I initially wasn’t any good, and I improved by actually practicing. I kept latching on to more bands I’d never listened to and messing around with synths. As I kept writing, I got better and the music fell into place. On the blink-182 tour, Tom gave us some incredible insight. He said, ‘Your stuff is great, but it’s too dense’. He told us all of these Jerry Finn tricks like using less distortion with more takes to fill everything out. We took his advice, and it opened up the album. We’ve got the wall of sound, but everything has its own place. For the vocals, I wanted them to be upfront, so there’s more power.”
That power is instantly apparent. Synths chime like homing beacons as harmonics ring out on the downright epic lead single “Third Shot.” The drumbeat steadily builds, and a snappy riff underlines luminous vibrations. It culminates on the chantable chorus, “But worst of all, I’m fighting back the tears, if you just knew how beautiful this all would turn out.” Brett’s four-year-old daughter makes a surprise cameo, and a hummable solo soars to the heavens.
“It’s about our love for music,” he reveals. “I can’t believe it’s taken us to where we are, and I wish the people who we’ve lost were here to see what we’ve done. Casey’s mom passed away a couple years ago, and she never got to see the blink-182 tour. She bought him his first guitar and was the most encouraging parent in our friend group. We’ve been friends since fourth grade, and I’d go to his house constantly. She was like my other mom. I never expected all of these eyes to be on us.”
An unpredictable, yet undeniable thrash riff loads up “Love Weapon.” It climaxes with another dazzling lead, and Brett pleads, “Open your arms wide, bury the discontent.”
“It’s a message to my wife,” he states. “The lyrics say, ‘Don’t worry. I’ll always be here for you. Whatever you’re going through, it will pass. You’ve just got to work through it’. It’s a moment of moral support.”
Palm-muted distortion chases the pulsating synths on “Depressed Mode.” Electronic transmissions echo, and the vibrant soundscape mirrors the emotion of the refrain, “All alone I’m trying, don’t deceive me. All through this I’ve found. You’ll remember this one.” It crashes like a wave into a thunderous breakdown.
“I come back to the same Twilight Zone episode,” he sets the scene. “These guys are fighting the overlords like A.I. Our song ‘Obsolete’ was derived from it as well as ‘Human’. So, ‘Depressed Mode’ is a companion to those. To go deeper lyrically, you’re dealing with an addiction and either fighting through it or giving into it.”
The expansive opener “Embark” and crushing closer “Arrival” share similar DNA. The trip ends on an evocative last note with the vocals yearning, “I hope to stay dreaming.”
“By writing about death, a relationship with dreams manifested at the end,” he notes. “You wonder, ‘What is all of this? What is this life? What does it really mean?’ ‘Arrival’ was the last piece I wrote lyrically, and it ties everything together so perfectly.”
Now, Astronoid have struck the ultimate balance, and it’s divine on Stargod.
“Every Astronoid album is an evolution,” Brett concludes. “We’re still pushing boundaries. This is definitely us. If the record can inspire you or just help you get through the day, there would be nothing better.”