| Though its members are among the most active musicians in the Australian underground metal scene, StarGazer releases new material only sparingly. Each offering is the result of a painstaking creative process, and when the band does emerge with something new, the results are never anything less than exceptional. So, when word spread earlier this year of a new StarGazer album, anticipation quickly grew—and with the arrival of A Merging to the Boundless, those high expectations are not only met, but thoroughly surpassed.
Despite approaching the 20-year mark of their existence, A Merging to the Boundless is only StarGazer’s third full-length album. Yet every release charts a course of artistic evolution, expanding upon the band’s distinct sonic identity while preserving the core elements that make their sound so singular. As with their previous effort, A Great Work of Ages, this new album reveals the band shedding old skin to unveil new, kaleidoscopic forms beneath.
StarGazer is often labeled “Progressive Death Metal,” a term that only partially captures the scope of their sound. While undeniably technical and influenced by a wide array of musical styles subtly woven into their compositions, the word progressive can sometimes carry connotations of sterile academicism or self-conscious experimentation. StarGazer deftly avoids both extremes. Their compositions may be elaborate and their playing virtuosic, but never at the expense of soul, intensity, or cohesion.
The album opens with its title track—a furious and intricate piece, built from a lattice of serpentine riffs that twist through shifting keys and tempos. It calls to mind the band’s earlier Black/Death influences, but quickly gives way to a different mood. The second track, “An Earth Rides Its Endless Carousel,” begins with lush clean guitars and flowing bass arpeggios, building slowly and purposefully before erupting into full force. Like the album itself, the song moves with organic grace—its dynamic shifts always fluid, never forced.
As A Merging to the Boundless unfolds, it reveals layer upon layer: chaotic, fragmented passages dissolve into moments of serenity that vanish just as suddenly, like mirages in a turbulent aether. The lyrics, too, defy easy categorization—arcane, poetic, and evocative of esoteric truths. Lines such as “That blazing sun under my lids, behind my teeth, lay dead on the precipice of the abyss” speak to the band’s ability to blend mysticism with raw emotion.
The album culminates with “The Grand Equalizer,” a sprawling 11-minute epic—the longest track in StarGazer’s discography. At once dreamlike and commanding, it cycles through majestic riffs and interlocking melodies, drawing the listener ever closer to the void. As the final notes fade, one is left suspended at the edge of something vast and unknowable.
A Merging to the Boundless is not merely a new chapter in StarGazer’s journey—it is a masterstroke. Arguably their most profound and fully realized work to date, it cements the band’s place as one of the most inventive and vital forces in extreme metal.
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