Somewhere between the late 1990s and the early 2010s, the rif largely disappeared from mainstream rock & pop.

Its transformative power - the rif as a means to transport the listener into another dimension - became an art cherished only in the underground of rock and metal.

One of the strong proponents of that transformative power is ASTROSAUR, an overlooked gem in the international heavy psyche rock and post- metal scene.

The Norwegian power trio has been employing the rif as their principal mode of transport since their 2017 debut album Fade In // Space Out.

Now, with the release of their third album Portals, ASTROSAUR are sounding more expansive and convincing than ever, delivering an intuitive exploration of the infnite powered by soaring guitars and surging grooves.

With their third full-length album, ASTROSAUR have delivered an incredibly diverse and musically challenging and satisfying experience, showing that this band is greater than the sum of its truly great parts.

Over the course of fve tracks and 48 minutes, the band use the best traits of the aforementioned genres to take you on a sonic journey into the deepest caverns of space and time.

First single «Black Hole Earth» is masterclass soaring post-rock guitars, with its magnifcent main melody, which is ofset against a blistering desert rock rif, like a star ship phasing in and out of hyperspace, alternating between crushing your guts and showing you the most marvellous views of deep space.

From a compositional viewpoint, «Eternal Return» is a mind-blowing afair. This giant psychedelic prog epic has been built from diferent themes and motifs that take turns in appearing, shifting form and developing as they go along.

Segueing into new themes or returning to earlier ones, «Eternal Return» gloriously comes full circle, ending the mind-boggling journey of Portals.

With the addition of vibraphones, Moog and acoustic guitars, the sound of ASTROSAUR is fuller and more diverse than ever before.

From the soaring overture of «Opening» to the glorious fnale of «Eternal Return», Portals shows the next great post-metal band at their most accomplished.

Fans of dynamic rifs and intricate compositions can once again rejoice as they're able to tune in and fade out once more with another wild ride courtesy of this exciting Norwegian powerhouse.