There has always been something special about The Atlas Moth. From the beginning, I was hypnotized by their unique synthesis of the heavy. I freaked out over it! Well, the band has perfected their brand of hypnotizing heaviness even more with their latest album. The Old Believer is a psychedelic and apocalyptic labyrinth of dark and vast emotional terrain that resonated deeply with me when I heard it.
The Atlas Moth begin with “Jet Black Passenger”, which unleashes The Old Believer with a short burst of guitar feedback and haze that leads into a methodical and pounding riff. The vocals emerge and steadily pick up the intensity and rise into heartfelt screams. “Collider” launches straight into the mayhem with some evil waling from vocalist Stavros Giannopulos, his vocal performance as well as the other band members cannot not be complimented enough. Outstanding all the way through the album.
“The Sea Beyond” is one of the coolest tracks on The Old Believer. It has it all. Heaviness, psychedelia, and spectacular guitar leads that emerge towards the center of the song. “Halycon Blvd” stands out as a rather unique track and displays gorgeous progression.
The second half of the album is just as good as the first. “Sacred Vine,” “The Old Believer,” and “City of Light” send the listener further into the abyss, so to speak, and bring more tension and sorrow into the albums texture. “Blood Will Tell” ends this brutal opus with ferocity that eventually falls to whispers and then just vanishes. Some bands just know how to fucking play. The Atlas Moth are one of those bands. With The Old Believer, they have once again left an indelible mark on my ears. The Atlas Moth have never sounded better. Highly recommended listening.
Rating: 4.8/5
http://profoundlorerecords.bandcamp.com/album/the-old-believer-2
https://www.facebook.com/theatlasmothband
https://twitter.com/TheAtlasMoth
Paul runs Bleeding Light Records.