Astari Nite - Dreams of Majesty

I have been tracking Astari Nite's work since 2014 where I discovered them writing the review for Stereo Waltz. What I found was a gothrock/darkwave band with plenty of 80s influences a la The Cure, A Flock of Seagulls, and all those other great early new wave and gothrock bands. While I was not completely floored with what they put out, I easily saw the potential of the Miami based project. Though they may run down sunny streets in the warm weather of Florida, Astari Nite has as dark an atmosphere as anyone else. 

Since 2014, Astari Nite has put out a bunch of singles that led to the ways of further EPs and albums, all while fine tuning their sound. This has all led up to what I consider their finest work to date, Dreams of Majesty. This four track EP has landed them on the prestigious Cleopatra Records, and though it is a short burst of music, Astari Nite has packed in an emotive punch. 

Ethereal guitar work mixes with uplifting synth line and underlying bass rhythms throughout the EP while Mychael Ghost's passionate vocals display a rare level of heated despair, grief, and joy. 'Lovesick' and 'The Girl Who Tried' are the first two songs to kick off the EP. These two songs first appeared in December of 2016 and July of 2017 as stand along singles. 'Lovesick' plays out with celestial atmosphere and walls of guitar strings, while 'The Girl Who Tried' is a perfect song for Gothic dance floors throughout the world. 

A more traditional darkwave sound emerges from both 'Divination' and 'The Witching Hour', though they are not with their charm. The guitar work on 'The Witching Hour' is something to point out as it drives the song forward and is the star of the show. However, that is expected as 'The Witching Hour' was, stated by Astari Nite, reminiscent of The Cure's Disintegration years. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating love letter to Astari Nite's iconic idols.

Astari Nite is a prime example of why I will always follow a band even if they do not impress me with their early works. They caught my attention with Stereo Waltz, and since then I've been waiting for them to wipe away any expectations I had for the band. They did exactly that with Dreams of Majesty. It's emotional, it's dark, and it harkens back to the 80s, which is easily considered the best era for Gothic music. For only three bucks this EP can be yours and you'd be crazy to pass it up. 
Aug 21 2017