“Astray” is an eight-track-long concept album with a heavy existential narrative. It's a pure reflection of a state of mind where you begin to see through the surface of everything, question your worth, willingly detach from the optimist to embrace the pessimist. The songs transition from a happy to a desolate place in a dramatic fashion and are laden with long decayed, delayed sounds.

"Astray" is a tragic tale of a youthful man who has a tendency to gravitate towards darkness; an inherent nature that he explores more and more as we progress through the songs which initiate from vigorous punk, hard rock and then transform its way from somber prog rock to experimental-fusion to technical groove metal, concluding with melancholic ambient rock and an introspective soundtrack. The central theme is the character’s identity crisis and the need for belonging. Every thought and every motive of the man is subconsciously spurred by that. There is an impending doom which is caused by him feeding the darker shades of his personality which eventually consume him.

The idea for the concept album was influenced while I stumbled upon the movies and short stories of H.P. Lovecraft and his fixation with concepts of humanity’s insignificance and decadence. "Astray" loosely follows the idea similar to lovecraftian plots like 'The Scientist gone mad in his quest for life beyond the human senses' or 'The encounters of the distressed protagonist with eccentric cosmic entities which somehow prove to be the answer to his life's riddle.' Just like the culmination of his stories, the protagonist here too meets a tragic end.

{The narrative opens up with punchy and overall optimistic tracks ‘Rage On’and ‘Rebellion Road’; where we get introduced to an ambitious yet disillusioned chap. The emotional turmoil is prevalent from the inception which has been induced by him being a misfit and an inhibited person in his surroundings. ‘Rage On’ portrays the character’s innocence, naivety and attempts to reinforce the idea of hope. “Rebellion Road” has a revolutionary appeal of a punk rock song joined by a heavy-handed balladry and immodest self-analysis. The two tracks which are thematically alike are a playground of the chap’s unsuccessful attempt at identifying himself with a conventional society. Towards the end of ‘Rebellion Road’ he is ready to give up the attempt to pursue a standard amicable social life, that according to him, is out of reach and is ready to follow the path led by his heart. The end of these two thematically encouraging songs is rather discouraging (and later tragic) in the storyline. The child is lost and a cold proud man is born with an unbreakable integrity.

‘The Enemy’ is the most crucial point in the storyline wherein the recognition and transition of the character occurs. The primal nature which was dormant until now is waking up and the innate desire to know, explore darker and deeper subjects is on the rise. This is where a murkiness begins to show in him. The soundscapes too transform from hopeful to foreboding in nature which is synonymous to the transition of the character from a disenchanted youth to a dangerous rover; thus, ‘The Enemy’.

‘Astray’, the title track, is his first footsteps towards darkness, ‘the road less taken’. The sounds are dystopian and melancholic in nature which translates well with his state of mind. The first half sounds almost like an otherworldly requiem for his lost innocence and rightfully so. The impassioned man has willingly left behind his past self and has entered a landscape of mysteries with a newfound conviction, which unbeknownst to him, is going to be his doom. Similar to ‘Astray’, ‘Come Together’ is a sonic description of the landscape but more hostile and eerie. This is the first time industrial and oriental sounds come into play together. The popular chorus of the original song by The Beatles, acts here as a warning call for the character to stop his pursuit of the unknown and return back.

‘Marvels beyond Madness’ is the highlight of the album. This is where all things culminate. The longest track on the album, the sounds reek of pure malevolence and horror. The action happens when he is confronted by a cosmic monster-like entity which is, throughout, a metaphor for the darkness inside him. The crux of the album becomes clear now which has all been about the need for acceptance and belonging. This frantic quest for a home has twisted his mind and soul towards the end. The ending lyrics of the song, “take all of me, show me your secrets, marvels beyond madness, break me apart”, is a fearless appeal to himself that now he is willing to lose everything and doesn’t fear death in order to belong to a home.

‘Riverine’ is like a rainbow after the storm. After a series of dark and chaotic sounds and themes, this proves to be a beautiful lullaby song. The character, like a benevolent spirit, is addressing a curious child to seek and desire beautiful things in life. His encounters with the maddening chaos has taken a huge toll and now his journey is coming to an end. The outro is a deeply melancholic, sorrowful farewell by our hero.
Following the same sorrowful manner, ‘Of the Spirit’ acts as an ending credits song. A transition from Rock/Metal soundscapes to Soundtrack is apparent and it’s the only instrumental track in the album. }