Music Banter - View Single Post - Anteater Presents: An Essential Guide To Modern Prog.

Anteater · 10-18-2009, 09:46 PM

7.

Moonlight – DownWords (2005)

1. Spy (7:56)
2. Irreversible (6:09)
3. Pati (5:43)
4. Into My hands (6:40)
5. Insomnia (6:11)
6. My own Words (3:59)
7. Pill (3:10)
8. Circus (9:30)
9. Downwords (10:41)

Portishead meets Megadeth.

Trip-hop meets glitch-rock meets your Russian uncle's favorite tricky Polka-Metal album.

The old timers smoking at your local jazz joint open their filthy coats wide and divulge guitars of shimmering steel to break the night to pieces.

Polish group Moonlight are a rather intriguing group that have been around since 1991 or so with 11 studio albums (as of 2009) under their belt. Although unknown compared to bands such as Riverside, Moonlight are the real treasure from the point of view of a guy like me, as they delve into territory that few prog. groups touch, electronica, and seamlessly blend it within and throughout the chaotic riffing that forms the basis of their sound. DownWords, their 10th album from 2005, is where this their odd mismatch of styles reached fruition, and hence its the one I'm reviewing here.

In particular, 'Spy' and 'Circus' are ideal showcases of what Moonlight does best; folksy licks amidst classically-inspired grooves that burst free with riffagee when you least expect it. Accordions also get their fair share of screentime here, which contributes to the quirky yet dark mood that pervades DownWords.

Lyrically and structurally, the strangeness is never in short supply. Odd silences will manifest themselves as if this were some kind of experiment in minimalism. Beats and the wisps of an instrumental flourish will echo back and forth from distant spaces before being extinguished. And finally, female vocalist Maja Konarska (who sounds like a sultry cross between Bjork and Goldfrapp) keeps each track captivating and not lacking in a sense of mystery. Overall, a powerful and strange landmark within the weak-willed annals of progressive metal history, but already...not remembered.

Play this and forget your musical identity. The blandness of other things will become apparant, and you will get lost in the woods.

Goodnight number 7.