Astral Display - Prometheus (2013)

Djent seems to be trending in Russia nowadays, and this band is the best yet that I've heard from the Russian scene. However, despite their talent for heavy, intricate riffs and their tasteful use of the clean/harsh vocal dynamic, this album is held back by its very short length. In fact, it feels more like an EP than a full-length. Some listeners will probably be willing to overlook this shortcoming, but I tend to think that in the very crowded djent market it doesn't make much sense to resort to such half-measures. That said, this band shows a lot of promise, and could potentially carve out their own niche in the metal world if they choose to experiment with the djent sound on their next release.
8/10