This was a shot in the ass. It’s always good to get surprised by a band. I first heard The Moth Gatherer in 2015 when they released their last album The Earth Is the Sky. I thought it was s decent album, but it didn’t really leave any indelible impression on me. It was kind of a darkly mellow post-metal sound. It had some good moments, but the band just kind of fell into the rabble of new bands that I come across in my meanderings across the metal landscape.
Flash forward to 2019 and BAM! I saw their name pop up on the release calendar and I was happy to see that the band was still around and producing new music, but honestly, I didn’t really expect to be blown away by this one. Well, spank my ass and call me Nancy because this thing is just EPIC. Here in your grimy little hands you hold a slab of post-metal that approaches the likes of Cult of Luna and Isis type material. It is really that good. It feels like the band has gone a bit heavier in their presentation. The guitars sound thicker and the vocals lean more in the harsh area. There are a lot of layers on this album and I have a feeling I’m going to be unpacking the full measure of this thing for quite some time. I honestly feel a need to go back and re-visit their previous material because I really feel like I may have missed something on my first pass with these guys. Job well done, lads.
4 flip flops out of 5
DISPATCHES FROM THE VOID 