From Bandcamp, “For nearly three decades, Australia’s STARGAZER has released some of the most complex, evocative, and profound music in underground. With their new three-song MLP, “Bound by Spells,” they strike a similar balance, demonstrating their ongoing innovation, as they evolve and progress over time.” The EP has three songs. The title track is first. This is definitely some uncommon music. The song starts with an even keeled sound along with some melody, and a key change transitions sharply to a more Progressive and darker sound. The vocals are whispered, while the bass and guitar play together nicely. There are more shifts in sound than you can even keep up with.

“Naughtilus” displays the band’s unique style and sense of musicianship. The jazzy opening segues into darker passages, akin to descending into hell. At first, the stairs and surrounding walls seem normal. But the further you descend, the blurrier they become, morphing into black obsidian. “Mater Eld” closes the EP, and it’s an eight-minute opus. One thing that strikes me now as a listener is that you can’t pin the band down to one or even two genres. They shift so frequently and so expertly between Death, Black, and Progressive Metal with a deft sense of songwriting. The bass darts and jumps around scales, while the riffs change from one bar to another.

The most pronounced element on the album for me is an overwhelming sense of surprise. I hate to use the old cliché, but you do never know what is coming next. They have a sound that is all their own, and it is marked by character, musicianship, and is unfettered by traditional genre boundaries.