US-based doom metal act, DiGelsomina, have released their full-length album, Sic Itur Ad Astra. The band features composer-guitarist Andy DiGelsomina (formerly of Lyraka) and vocalist Robert Lowe (of Solitude Aeturnus and Candlemass fame).
DiGelsomina himself states, "We are very happy to be unleashing this doom-soaked slab of fantasy metal upon the metal world. Mp3s are immediately available, we start shipping CDs June 23, 2023. Many thanks to Tim Henderson and Martin Popoff for the invaluable support over the years."
Mp3s, including links to Spotify and Amazon, Deezer and Pandora are here. CDs, shipping later this month, are only available here.
Sic Itur Ad Astra is a journey made of 7 tracks for approximately 44 minutes of playing time. The sound is mainly influenced from Black Sabbath (the Osbourne and Ronnie Dio years), Dio's stint with Ritchie Blackmore, Deep Purple, the Saint Vitus debut LP, Robert's work with Solitude Aeturnus, and to a lesser degree Candlemass. However, the imprint of some songs reminds of Control Denied’s “The Fragile Art of Existence”, both for the riffs section and the 90s-oriented production. DiGelsomina aims to offer an evocative and well-written album, deliberately remaining distant from the formal perfection dictated by modern record production canons.
Lyrically, Sic Itur Ad Astra is an allegorical fantasy about the Warrior Angel (origin: the land of Mahanaim) who is fighting avatars of the Lovecraft character Nyarlathotep. The story originates well over a million years ago, when the Warrior Angel and Heavenly Host stop a powerful dragon (a common avatar of Nyarlathotep), reducing him to a crawling serpent on the earth, where he nevertheless ends up ruling. Upon discovering the mystical trapezohedron and becoming aware of her nemesis' subjugation of Terra, the Warrior Angel is taken upon an Epic journey, believing she is being led by God to the whereabouts of her enemy. Nyarlathotep ultimately ensorcells her, leaving her trapped in the deltohedron and temporarily unable to continue the battle. This sets the stage for the next album and the appearance of her holistic companion, the Conqueror.
Sic Itur Ad Astra tracklisting
"Mahanaim"
"Harbinger Of Doom"
"Otherworldly"
"Winternacht"
"Shadows And Mirrors"
"Entombed By Choice"
"Stygian Winds"
"Mahanaim":
Music composed and arranged by Andy DiGelsomina. Produced, engineered, rhythm guitar, and general musical co-conspiring by Andre Maquera (West Street Digital). DiGelsomina’s photos by Cheryl DiGelsomina and Justin Walker, Lowe’s photo by Galen Johnson. Artwork by Michael Calandra.
DiGelsomina are:
Andy DiGelsomina: Lead Guitar, Orchestration
Robert Lowe: Vocals
Andre Maquera (West Street Digital): Rhythm Guitar
Thom Carvey: Bass
Gary Spaulding: Percussion
