In the aftermath of the sad demise of Mishkin who featured often and lovingly on the pages of Grumpyrocker (see the review of Row Away From the Rocks and a gig review from Darlington), it seems somewhat fitting to bring you a review of another unsigned band. This time the band hail from Manchester (so that’s one point in their favour) and are called Blastronaut.

This initial collection of four tunes comes under the banner of Demo, therefore, we are to presume that this is not the finished copy. However, the moment you launch yourself into opening track A Welcome Disturbance there is a realisation that this is a band for whom Demo is not an excuse to produce something half-baked and recorded in a cupboard and what a nice surprise it is. After the opening squall of noise and guitar feedback that places A Welcome Disturbance well and truly at your feet, there’s a catalogue of increasingly distinctive rumbling, before a long yell marks the entry of the vocals. These are clear, powerful vocals which are supported by thudding instruments that thunder out into chugging bass, whilst a solo guitar riffs and freewheels away.

Synthetic Sun picks a similar style to A Welcome Disturbance, with an interesting change of pace midway through, mixed with those driven beats and freewheeling solo guitar moments. Piggy is a huge rush of a track featuring the unforgettable line “fuck you like a pig” whilst showcasing some really raucous rock. Strategy of Buying Blind is the last track on Demo and begins with a nicely placed guitar opening, with plenty of fuzzy guitar notes to provide a frantic and statically charged base from which the vocals pierce their way through.

If you didn’t know better you would swear that Blastronaut spent their youth listening to the likes of Iron Maiden and Deep Purple, in fact in their four track offering Demo it may just be that Blastronaut have rediscovered the blue print for classic rock.

Reviewed by Jimbo Walsh

For more details about Blastronaut head over to their Soundcloud page.