The Grand Astoria - Omnipresence
Posted by Captain Beyond Zen on Sunday, April 3, 2011
Today I send you greetings from Russia with love. The Grand Astoria's 'Omnipresence' is their third album and it is one of the biggest surprises this year. Formed in the spring of 2009 by guitarist and vocalist Kamille Sharapodinov, The Grand Astoria is one of the bands, which is overseen and not recognized by many in the stoner scene. This could be caused by their origin Russia, which is not really the centre of the psychedelic stoner rock universe, but now the time seems to be ready for their breakthrough. 'Omnipresence' was featured in nearly all important blogs (The Klepto's Guide To Awesome Music, The Soda Shop, Heavy Planet, Planet Fuzz, Doommantia, etc.) and therefore I cannot longer neglect to feature this great band.
The name of this band - The Grand Astoria - comes from a famous hotel in their hometown of Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation, built in 1912 and then renovated in 1991. Those dates alone give us a snapshot of the building’s cultural significance. As one of the city’s most famous hotels, it was designed as a final expression of pre-Soviet grandeur, and would - decades later - benefit almost immediately from an huge injection of post-Soviet wealth. In between these two dates and events, one of the world’s most powerful and restrictive regimes both rose and fell. Somehow the Astoria kept standing.
If the band The Grand Astoria offers the same staying power as their namesake hotel, we will take much pleasure in their to-be music. 'Omnipresence' let my expectations go sky high. 'Omnipresence' is a salmagundi of the best ingrediences what I call my favorite music styles. All songs are equipped with killer fuzzy riffs and infectious hooks and grooves, but one song overmatch everything and is one of the best songs I heard this year - the 12 and a half minute totally epic spaced out psychedelic progressive stoner masterpiece titled 'Something Wicked This Way Comes'. This song is hard to top - it is a conglomerate of the best ideas and put together to an intoxicating maelstrom.
'Omnipresence' offers everything and more you are looking for a modern stoner metal release with influences from psych to prog to punk to 70's hard rock and is The Grand Astoria’s strongest album to date.
Track List:
01.Doomsday Party
02.Hungry & Foolish
03.Mania Grandiosa
04.Omniabsence
05.Rat Race In Moscow
06.Something Wicked This Way Comes
07.The Song Of Hope
08.Omnipresence
09.Stonewall
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If you want to buy their CDs you should contact The Grand Astoria via thegrandastoria@gmail.com
Whoa, whoa, whoa... I don't make the "important blogs" list. I think I am insulted...
Seriously though, this was a great album, and I think their best overall. First release of the year and already a contender for my 'Top of 2011' list.