Moon Destroys: Maiden Voyage

Moon Destroys brings together so many talents that it’s tempting to think of them as a supergroup, but let’s not be too hasty with that sometimes-damning label. Supergroups are obviously great, at least on paper, but they are too-often doomed by overweening egos and unrealistic expectations. Fortunately, Moon Destroyer is the project of seasoned writing partners Juan Montoya (ex-Torche) and Evan Diprima (Brother Hawk, ex-Royal Thunder). Better still, Montoya and Diprima create a lovely combination of riffs, fuzz, psychedelia, and sludge.

Most listeners will want to listen to “Blue Giant� so they can hear Troy Sanders’s guest vocals. The song is terrific and will definitely satisfy Mastodon’s most ardent fans. The other major highlight is “Stormbringer,� which features Paul Masvidal (Cynic) sing on vocals. I don’t listen to Cynic as often as I listen to Mastodon, but the style and substance of “Stormbringer� is awesome. Masvidal sounds great and Montoya’s guitar playing is especially solid on this one. Just listen to that tone! Rounding out the band is Brian Ritchie (The Sword) on synthesizer. His playing mostly stands out, at least to me, on “The Edge of Forever,� but there are inklings of his playing elsewhere.

The other three tracks, all of which are less than two minutes long, are short but strong instrumentals that mostly tease listeners with what else Moon Destroys might do. Of the three, I probably liked “At the End of Time� the most because it was so fast and exciting. “The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean� was also pretty cool, but it honestly sounded like the last 90 seconds of a longer song than it did a complete recording. The last of the short songs, “The Edge of Forever� takes listeners to the end with a nice blend of soaring guitars and layered synthesizers.

Overall, this is a strong new release from a band that should definitely keep writing songs together. You’ll definitely want to hear “Blue Giant� and “Stormbringer� but don’t skip the other tracks. Moon Destroys seems like a great project and I hope they’ll stick around for a while.

Track Listing:
1. At the End of Time
2. Blue Giant (Feat. Troy Sanders)
3. The Shores of the Cosmic Ocean
4. Stormbringer (Feat. Paul Masvidal)
5. The Edge of Forever

Added: March 16th 2020
Reviewer: Carl Sederholm
Score:
Related Link: Band Facebook Page
Hits: 1178
Language: english

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