Album Review: Astronoid – Radiant Bloom

Kick-starting a new era

This year will mark Astronoids’ tenth anniversary as a band. Astronoid traces its origins to 2012 in Lowell, Massachusetts, where it was founded by vocalist Brett Boland and bassist Daniel Schwartz. The group has since added guitarist Casey Aylward and drummer Matt St. Jean.

In June of 2022, Astronoid released Radiant Bloom. Radiant Bloom is Astronoids third studio album release and the first since Astronoid in 2019. Not only does Radiant Bloom commemorate the group’s tenth anniversary as a band, but this is the first album the group has released with the label 3DOT Recordings.

Radiant Bloom is a rock-based release with techno vibes. The instrumentals lean towards the rock genre, while the vocals are softer and have a lighter feeling. Although soft vocals could have a messy mix with heavy instrumentals, they don’t.

“Eyes” is an example of how this mix works well. The bass and drums fuse well together, making for an epic, overcoming beat. While the instrumentals do their work, the vocals are powerful and compliment that overcoming feeling well.

While “Eyes” keeps things towards the more rock side of things, “Sleep Whisper” takes a slightly different approach. “Sleep Whisper” ventures towards the metalcore side of things at times but still makes for an epic listening experience. The drums bang heavy and the guitars are electric which helps the song fit in well with the rest of the album.

“I’ve Forgotten Your Face” is another strong song on Radiant Bloom. The music is produced nicely, and the vocals are strong once again. Although “I’ve Forgotten Your Face” is another strong song on Radiant Bloom, there seems to be untapped potential.

Throughout Radiant Bloom, the music itself often sounds very similar from one song to another. Although this isn’t too much of a problem as the music is enjoyable, it could feel repetitive to some listeners. There is also a feeling that with the consistent choice of music, much of the time, Astronoid does not venture out to different genres.

Although it may have some problems, Radiant Bloom is still an excellent release. The vocals and instrumentals are nice, and appropriately commemorate Astronoid’s tenth anniversary as a band while kick-starting a new era with a new record label. Although sometimes the music sounds very similar across different songs, Radiant Bloom is still a strong release.