Astringency

The West Texas melodic death metal band, Astringency, was conceptualized out of an intense love for extreme music. The band’s first full lineup of Aaron Prentice, Caleb Sims, Cameron Warren, Jake Hackett, and Jordan Hackett formed in 2011. Astringency released their 2013 EP entitled The Horrors I Beheld and toured throughout Texas to support its release; a tour throughout the Midwestern United States would come the following year. During the time after the release of The Horrors I Beheld, Astringency began work on a debut full-length album. The band’s first real hardship came in 2016 with the passing of bassist Caleb Sims. Following a brief hiatus to mourn their loss, Astringency’s debut album Sanguinarium was finally released independently in 2017. The search for a new bassist ended when long-time friend, Austin Price, was recruited during a drunken, 2017 St. Patrick’s Day party. The band’s second full-length album, Of Vacant Planes, was released independently in August of 2020.
Although the core sound can be described as melodic death metal, Astringency is a blend of several different genres including black metal, technical death, and progressive death metal. The progression of Astringency’s musicianship is audible when one listens to their releases in chronological order. The Horrors I Beheld EP still retained some of Astringency’s early metalcore influences, while Sanguinarium showcases more of their technicality. Of Vacant Planes builds on that technicality, while also displaying maturity in song structure and lyricism.