Art-based dark rock quintet Astraya‘s second full-length album, Atropine, is out now from These Hands Melt.
Featuring Melina Abele (vocals), Benny Gölz and Tim Suske (guitars), Tobias Hänsel (bass) and Klaus Wintermayr (drums), the band’s latest single, ‘A Theory Of Time‘, is also out now on all digital platforms, with a video you can check out below.
“We wrote the song a long time ago,” said the band of the single, “but it wasn’t until we started pre-production that everything finally fell into place and we were able to complete it. It is about reflecting on time, the universe, and what happens after death. Inspired by a scientific article, it blends science with personal emotions, especially the loss of a loved one, and expresses a deep desire to escape time and find a place where it no longer exists. We also created a beautiful video for the song, featuring stunning nature shots from our hometown.”
Since their 2019 debut EP Black Awakening, Astraya have carved out a reputation for a handmade wall of sound that balances dreamlike longing with unrelenting rage. Their music is a blend of dark rock, metal and doom, and is defined by the ethereal, classically influenced vocals of Melina Abele, that pierce through the band’s heavy atmosphere like sun rays through black clouds. With their new album Atropine, the band explores human fragility, fate and time. The title track has a deeply mystical atmosphere, exploring the very moment of death and the idea that one’s fate may already be predetermined. This underlying theme runs throughout the entire record.
Atropine was produced and mixed by the band’s own Tim Suske, with mastering handled by Roland Böffgen at Hard Drive Sounds Studio. The cover artwork was created by Katja Schocke.
The new single follows previous single and music video ‘A Spark Within‘. Amid the album’s pervasive melancholy, it stands out as a small but powerful glimmer of hope. Through its dark sound, the music reinforces and amplifies the themes expressed in the lyrics. ‘A Spark Within‘ is available on all digital platforms, and you can watch the video here at RAMzine.
“‘A Spark Within‘ holds a very special place for us,” said the band. “It came to life almost effortlessly, and from the very first moment we knew it had to be the opener of our record.” Continuing, they declared: “We love playing it live because it carries so much power. It also marks the first time we allowed ourselves to lean into something brighter. The song begins in darkness, almost fragile and uncertain, but as it unfolds, a quiet strength emerges. By the end, it carries a simple but powerful message: no matter how heavy the night may feel, there is always a way forward, as long as you hold on to hope. With the video, we wanted to capture exactly that feeling, the pure energy and joy we experience when performing the song. No elaborate storyline, no distractions, just the connection between us and the music. It’s about that spark you can’t fake, the intensity that only exists when we play it together.”
Atropine features the tracks: ‘A Spark Within‘, ‘Lighthouse‘, ‘In Devotion‘, ‘A Theory Of Time‘, ‘Descendant Of A Dead Man‘, ‘Valley Of The Damned Pt. 1‘, ‘In The Pale Glow Of Torches‘, ‘Arrival‘, ‘Valley Of The Damned Pt. 2‘ and ‘Atropine‘. Available as a transparent indigo colour vinyl album and as a CD digisleeve with booklet in limited editions, alongside digital editions via all major streaming and download platforms.
