Moonless are a very new name to me and so the only preconception I have of the Danish band is based on the cover; pop art colours, psychedelic tinge, Doomentia records. So. Sludge, stoner, doom kind of area? Well first track ‘Mark Of The Dead’ begins with a lovely, slack sludge bass line that morphs into a seriously hard nosed doom riff. The vocals are gruff but soon show themselves to have plenty of range when the riff demands it. It’s a very catchy, immediate number too, a shockingly memorable chorus and an up-tempo stoner boogie section keep the whole thing bouncing and dragging along like good ‘ un. Not too sure about the lyrics which come across as a bit trite but there again they are writing in a second or third language and I’ve heard far worse from UK bands so I’ll quit bitching. Maybe. After all it is a cracking opener.
The next track is called ‘ Devil’s Tool’, which maybe has lost something in translation after all. Not as immediate as the first song it nevertheless keeps the interest up. ‘Horn Of The Ram’ is shorter and more to the point and once again shows that Moonless have a knack for writing gritty stoner infused doom that has to be respected.
I am drawn back to the lyrics though. Sorry. The thing is that when you are doing a predominantly Satanic, seventies style thing it is very tricky not to sound a bit jarring. It is possible; check out Canadians Funeral Circle for one, or the more twisted Angel Of Damnation (from Germany) for a band using a second language. Too often though Moonless come up against either some very basic boogie clichés or lines that are just a bit… not good. Still, maybe I’m the only one left who listens to lyrics. Whatever, it’s not a deal breaker by any stretch.
The title track is another exercise in a nice fuzzed out riff and some impassioned vocals combining for a fine workout, with neat tempo changes and a fine dirty edge to the whole sound. ‘The Bastard In Me’ is at it’s heart a basic bit of stoner boogie, low down grunt chained to a head nodding bluesy riff that rattles and rolls along in fine fashion, though also the kind of thing that you probably wouldn’t recall in the bar after the set.
Moonless close with ‘Midnight Skies’; a slow, heavy song that you expect to build towards some kind of gallop and out does, complete with drum fill for the beginning of the crowd clap-along before falling back into the slow stream. As elsewhere there are done nice lead breaks here, too, and the production to bring them through but out somehow leaves the album fading out rather than blowing a hole in your wall.
Out is an odd album for me: On the one hand the opening song promises so much and the playing never lets Moonless down but on the other not enough of the other songs stays with me after the song has faded which is a shame. And, yes, if you do listen to lyrics, because the vocals are so well captured and placed in the mix and because they are enunciated so well you can hear every word so there is no place for them to hide.
Gripes aside this is a debut, remember, and this is a good base to work from. Give them a listen, and a bit of time and their bite may well sink deep.
6.5/10 Gizmo
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