Astpai – True Capacity

European punk rock group Astpai has been providing their mix of hardcore meets melodic punk for over fifteen years now.  The group’s rough and dirty mix of gruff vocals and easily digested riffs has long since been satisfying fans of The Flatliners, Kentokill and The Menzingers in and out of the mosh pit.  No longer an up and comer, the band has deservingly earned a reputation that should make fans eagerly anticipate Astpai’s sixth full length, True Capacity.  While the disc continues to further move songs into catchier territory, the band certainly upholds their well earned gritty reputation in the process.

A little cleaner in delivery, returning fans will notice that during many moments the guitar chords are more consistently defined.  Opener “Rotten Bait” takes a gradual approach to ushering in the disc, initially layering instrumentation in a calm way through a combination of stringy guitars, the song eventually erupts into the backdrop of controlled chaos Astpai is known for.  Think of the extended intros from late career Lagwagon and you’ll get the impression.  

From there, the pendulum swings back and forth between clean vocals and smooth riffs, to gruff outbursts and visceral drumming.  Songs like “Lottery” further draw upon gang vocals to up the impact of their choruses, but also pull back various layers when landing catchy chorus lines as per the hook heavy track, “Best Years.”  The album’s pop-punk leanings are stronger than with past releases, with songs like “No Hero” and slower offerings like “Feel Your Pain” communicating a singable quality during lines like “your words fail to break my ache and despair.”  But such moments come counterbalanced with the purely guttural outpourings of the title track, harkening back to the band’s hardcore days.

Overall, Astpai gives fans plenty of reasons to become reacquainted after their four year break between albums.  True Capacity continues to add a little polish to the product, but without covering up the grainy little imperfections that give Astpai character.  Cranky fans may call foul on upping the level of hooks yet again, but there will always be some holdouts. True Capacity is a natural next installment in the Astpai discography, and a bright indication of the band’s future.