http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds/spinner#/11

Quickly, listen to the new album by Astra, 'The Black Chord', while it's up for free streaming this week (it's out next month I believe, on Rise Above Records, the best record label of all time).

Seriously, it's ridiculous, unbelievable, lovely, glorious, all the wonderful adjectives I've ever said in my life, multiplied by fifty bloody billion pounds. In age of musical crapness everywhere, these are the boys that have saved my life and made it the most wonderous thing in the world. Well done and cheers.

If you appreciate music at all, listen to this, and if you don't enjoy it, well you're just a right old bloody wanker now aren't ya? Well everyone is entitled to their opinion I suppose, but you know, I just want to spread lovely music all over your faces and spread the wonderful joy I am receiving right now. Many thanks in anticipation of your enjoyment.

this is indeed!!

some bits remind of early-mid 70s Camel, Nobuo Uematsu, and all sorts of other amazingness, digging it so far

Yes, all the amazing things! In fact, most amazing 70s prog, or 70s-style prog has elements of Nobuo Uemasu Final Fantasy goodness I find. It's very wonderful indeed.

I watched this earlier, it was pretty decent: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b0 ... Movements/

+1 for use of the term 'unbelieveable joy'

Thanks very much.

I was thinking of bumping this up actually, so cheers Faraaz.

This album is really good, for god's sake, just go and purchase it, would you all please?