Moon-Canduceus Chalice

Moribund
2011

I tried hard to find something to like on this album from Australia's moon. Indeed I found a few moments where they focus on creating some eerie tones. Unfortunately those moments are few and far between. When the drum machine is the heaviest and best sounding instrument on and album then brother you know that you are in for a rough ride if you hope to listen to the whole album. The sound attempts to be deep and dark, but the sound is frequently muddy and dull. This is supposed to be atmospheric black metal, but it's more like a very indistinct form of drone with very little personality to set it apart. There were times where I got into what they were attempting, but they normally lost me with repetitious music and the buried, soulless grumbles that they believe pass as vocals. At times I felt like I was sitting in a tunnel with cotton in my ears listening some non-descript sounds being played on a twenty five year old walkman with almost dead batteries. They had a few sparks, but most of the album came across as filler that just (very slowly) made it's way to a highly unsatisfactory end. I was expecting and hoping to overwhelmed and amazed by tones and textures, but instead I just kept looking at the running time waiting for the pain to end.