Final Gasp : "Mourning Moon"

The anticipated debut from this Boston band opens with a song that falls back into the late 80s when bands like TSOL and Die Kruzen took a darker turn in a more shadow-drenched direction. "Homebound" keeps the mood and momentum, with the jagged chug of guitars maintaining the tension. The production really sells it in the way things are coated in reverb, which helps the vocals blend into the aggression of the guitars. When the vocals get into a lower growled whisper, it's the first hint of creepier metal intentions that might lie ahead. Things lean in a marginally more metal direction on "Botched Ritual" though no more so than when bands like the Cro-mags crossed over with albums like "Best Wishes". 

"Frozen Glare" is more brooding, as well as sonically heavier with the vocals going into a more coarse bark. The drummer is great, but this song does not groove, nor do the vocals or bass line contribute a great deal to steering it from the more punk-inflected clamor stirred up. "Blood and Sulphur" keeps things headed in a more hardcore punk direction. Which I appreciate, especially when it comes to the street-wise sermon it embarks upon. Though it is a far cry from the Halloween vibes this album was marketed with bringing. The more Killing Joke-like moments that the title track carries are one of the album's highlights. The synths haunting the backdrop of this song might inspire some trick-or-treating. 

The aggressive approach increases as a more thrashing approach is applied to the riffs powering "Unnatural Law". This still falls within the bounds of their hard-core influence. You can hear the simmering metal influence when things shift in a more deliberate direction for "14 Gates". They really have to be commended in how they have captured the sound from this era. They are also very skilled in the layering of atmosphere against harder punchy sections, which creates a Danzig-like feel to the guitar on "Temptation".  They dig deeper into the graves of dark 80s punk with "The Vanishing". Their singer is great at creating the right nuances to accomplish this. The last song "Rows of Heaven" pushes it further in the corners of this brand of punk, though not as catchy as some of the previous songs. I will give this album a 9.5, as it takes me back to a place in music that I hold close to my black heart.