Review: “Self Titled” by Cemetery Moon

“Over the last several years, a giant wave of raw black metal bands has washed over us. From the outset, I was inspired to try my hand at this style but wanted to incorporate some other elements to give listeners something more. Lyrically, I was originally inspired by old stories of New England and all manner of occult mysticism. over time, however, this evolved into channelling my own experiences and observations about the world. Ideally, you should find a personal meaning in the work that makes it stay with you.” ~ Apparition

Hailing from New England, Black Metal trio Cemetery Moon have chosen the self titled approach for their debut album. Initially conceived as a one man project by mastermind and multi instrumentalist Apparition (vocals, guitars, percussion, synths) in 2015, after some toil he released a collection of demos titled “Castle in the Mist“. 2019 saw the recruitment of Astoroth (bass, synths), followed by Langeloth (guitars, backing vocals) in 2021 with the desire in enhance the creativity and output, the trio having experience in Punk, Hardcore, Progressive Metal and Grunge scenes while sharing a collective love of ice cold Black Metal.

Trapped in a basement torcher chamber hell, the ghostly knocking on the dungeon walls echoes hauntingly in “Phantasm“, an icy synth pattern making you question if what you hear is simply your over active imagination starved of sleep or… something more sinister. “Only Demons” then comes to life with scathing, harshly whispered vocals against a backdrop of un-muted tremolo picking and power chords to create an unnerving sense of dread. Primitive and raw, it leaves a lasting impression as it echoes out the quality of the recording making it a purposefully challenging listen, the drum sound in particular sounding like classic Black Metal from ancient times. “Limitless Contempt” continues the onslaught with a violently turbulent energy, the low end bass rumblings and rampaging guitars working in perfect harmony with blood spitting vocal lines. After those three savage monstrosities, the band shift their style a little into something more avant-garde with the haunting “Eyes Of The False Gods“. Taking a page from the book of Imperial Triumphant, there are roots in Jazz underneath this dark cloud, the meandering first half of the six minute magnum opus feeling almost opulent in comparison to the earlier cuts. That’s not to say that it’s not equally as primitive because the essence of all that is Cemetery Moon is at its bitter, black heart. The ethereal backing vocals of the final verse sound like a sirens call to the void in comparison to the cutting, brutal words of Apparition which makes for a well put together dull ache of contrast. Instrumental “You Went the Wrong Way” acts as a mid album palate cleaner that you can either take or leave; it serves a purpose while lacking any real meaning.

The last thing one would expect to hear on a record like this is Gothically overtoned clean vocals however they rear their ugly head during “The Bleak Universal“; a song soaked in a shroud of Black Metal which has a melody reminiscent of “Love Will Tear Us Apart” by Joy Division in it. Obscure and eclectic it’s a dark surprise however it works surprising well, even if it’s not for purists. As if admitting to easing up on the tension “Army of Darkness” finds Cemetery Moon finding a new way to torcher the soul with a return to the earlier violent turbulence and vocal savagery. Shorter than a poison dwarf, this one still has what it takes to sear the ear drums and tickle the cerebral cortex before the 1970’s Progressive Rock opening of “A Voice in the Woods” cracks a smile. The experimentation and vision of combining Lynyrd Skynyrd inspired riff moments with Black Metal is intriguing and that continues into “Life’s Enduring Lie” which once again brings clean vocals while sounding like it was recorded in a cave. The solo, the first of the record, is bold and brave with bluesy overtones, perhaps showcasing that there is more to come than simply searing Black Metal from the band if the continue this musical journey together because this is still a bleak, shoegazing affair that is as cold as ice. The twist in the tale is the cinematic “I Haven’t Forgotten“, a piece that sounds like it belongs to a Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A SpaceOdyssey. Perhaps the idea is to create something of dungeon crawling quality but the science fiction edge adds something darker. All in all a mixed bag that perhaps lacks a little focus but offers in its place a rich vein of experimentation [7/10]

Track Listing

1. Phantasm
2. Only Demons
3. Limitless Contempt
4. Eyes of the False God
5. You Went the Wrong Way
6. The Bleak Universal
7. Army of Darkness
8. A Voice in the Woods
9. Life’s Enduring Lie
10. I Haven’t Forgotten

“Self Titled” by Cemetery Moon is out 5th May 2023 with pre-orders available over at bandcamp.