After spending far too long working out how to type ø successfully, finally we can begin…
Hailing from the Danish town of Aarhus, Møl formed in 2012 and set about blurring genre boundaries with a gleeful disregard for convention and the security of familiarity.
The term ‘black gaze’ is thrown around a lot these days, often in conjunction with ‘atmospheric’ or ‘post’ black metal. Møl manage to bring a whole host of influences and styles to bear in every single song on their latest album ‘Dreamcrush’.
Rarely, if ever have such disparate dynamics been so cleverly and effortlessly interwoven as they are here.
By taking the ethereal, expansive atmospheric soundscapes of Alcest and building majestic, skyscraper riffs on top, Møl have created a record that sounds so complete, so cohesive, and so very coherent that it, to me at least, perfectly encapsulates what we mean by ‘black gaze’.
Opener ‘Dream’ lulls and beguiles before dropping a monolithic riff from a great height and then fading away into the night.
First single ‘Garland’ leans into its shoegaze tendencies and melodic vocals that come all wrapped up with a lead guitar line that reaches up and drags the stars from heaven.
It may only be February, but this is going on my album of the year list. Beautiful, fierce and articulate, ‘Dreamcrush’ is everything I want from a modern metal album!
Best paired with: Time, space and an inquisitive mind.
Review by Jake (our wine Expert)
Møl – Dreamcrush is out now on Nuclear Blast Records
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