I chose this album from the promo assemblage purely because the band name. But Moose Cult promise more than just good times in the forest. Environme(n)tal themes mixed with death/doom? Sign me up!
Right from the start I was met with nothing but disappointment. Book of the Machines is advertised as death/doom, it sounds however more like a garage stoner project to me. The sound is too thin and relies heavily on the life support of the lead guitars. There should be a fretless bass somewhere, but without mentioning it in the promo I would never know of its presence. It is clear that Moose Cult‘s intention is to play a groovy type of music, but the way it is presented to the listener is confusing. Once the band settles on a riff, it all gets thrown aside for one of the most grating shrieks on this planet. This vocal style is completely out of place here and distracted me the whole time, even to the point where I couldn’t actively listen to it.
Moose Cult obviously know how to write decent riffs, but weaving them into a passable song structure seems to be the problem here. Sometimes they think they really want to play death/doom, sometimes they settle for a muffled modern rock approach. There are also sparks of brilliance on Book of the Machines. The deep growls bring back the death/doom atmosphere and together with the very good lead guitar could save the album. “Gateway to Evolving Thought” features acoustic guitar and it might be one of the best decisions the band made. It’s filthy, yet somewhat folky at the same time. This is proof that the band is actually capable of writing interesting material. This track is followed by “Headless Cult”, which I think is their best, it is cohesive, makes sense from start to finish and most importantly the music has a spark that is missing from most of the album.
I wish I could like this album more. It certainly has the potential to be a lot better than it turned out to be. Moose Cult definitely have the ability to write good songs, but their choice of compositions and a weak mix drag this album down.