Gospel "The Moon is a Dead World" CD
[Level-Plane]
This is the debut full-length from this band that features former members of Helen of Troy, I Am the Resurrection, and Knives and Greenwater. I've not heard all of those bands, but I'm gonna go out on a limb based on what I'm picking up here and guess that this sounds little or nothing like any of 'em, sans perhaps a quick riff here or there with ties to some form of math rock meets indie rock sensibility. But more than an album of traditional songs, this is more like a collection of eight tracks that roam all over the place and rarely lock into any sort of verse/chorus structure at all, instead opting for an extremely progressive rock-esque approach that jumps from fast paced rhythmic jaunts with smatterings of keyboards (in a 70's prog rock kind of way, nothing "hip" or particularly melodic at all) to sludgy rock 'n' roll riffs and fuzzed out lead passages that are absolutely capable of decaying into feedback drenched noisescapes. And how about that frantic ass drumming? The dude totally rages and crushes all over the place with completely unhinged fills as well as fluid patterns and a few beats that are almost straightforward - though his entire performance is pretty colored up with subtle nuances that make for a really energetic and forceful backbone to the rest of the music. But make no mistake, they're not an instrumental act. Okay, the bulk of the material is instrumental, but plenty of wicked screaming makes itself known when necessary, coming and going as it pleases during some of the more tangible rhythms. And yeah, there are elements of melody as well, most notably popping up for the first time in the insane nine-minute jaunt of "A Golden Dawn", which drops back to slick clean guitars and lightly distorted melodies near the midway point. "Paper Tigon" blends frenetic speeds and ultra caustic abrasiveness with unexpectedly melodic undercurrents that help keep things together, though the piece definitely tests one's tolerance for over the top noisiness... that is, until "And Redemption Fills the Emptiest of Hearts" follows with similar (yet more extreme) contrast! "What Means of Witchery" opens with a restrained clean passage that's easily the most prominent breather of the entire disc, especially considering the vocals switch over to some faint singing way back in the distance, which is actually pretty damn cool. Everything slowly builds up over the next several minutes, eventually kicking over to screaming and full distortion, but there's still an airy disposition that allows this piece to sink in a bit more, so it's absolutely my favorite. The recording was handled by the generally awesome Kurt Ballou, and this is indeed one of the records by which is awesomeness is solidified. I bet he had a lot of fun with this one, as the filthy guitar tone heavy as fuck - but not in a metal way, just due to its gritty texture with lots of warm density that still lets the bass have a steady pulse. And the fucking drummer, man!? The drums sound perfect, and this cat is a fucking madman behind the kit. Overall the recording is fucking great, coming across as completely natural and just a smidge raw, but intentionally so, which adds to the ferocity of certain aspects of the record without losing detail. I'm not a fan of the keyboards simply because I find them to be largely unnecessary (and I just don't fuckin' dig keyboards, period), so I wouldn't be complaining if that stuff came in lower in the mix, but since those passages are fairly rare as it is I'm not overly concerned. The layout is very minimal, using nothing but a metallic looking purple ink for handwritten text and wacky illustrations over straight black backgrounds. The inner spread is more handwriting offering minimal credits alongside an enormous spread of librium tranquilizer pills. Go figure. No lyrics are included, but from the lines I can make out the content seems pretty fuckin' weird, so I wish they had included 'em, but use your imagination: The entire disc is strange as hell! This isn't the kind of thing I could listen to on a regular basis, but it is cool, and the band is definitely doing something different from anything else I've been hearing out there lately. It's not for everyone, an acquired taste perhaps, but there's definitely some impact to be experienced, and a wide range of open-minded audiences could appreciate this. It's certainly interesting and out there! (7/10)
Running time - 39:01, Tracks: 8
[Notable tracks: Yr Llectric Surge is Sweet, A Golden Dawn, What Means of Witchery]
Level-Plane Records - http://www.level-plane.com

This review has been displayed 3185 times.