Moanaa - Descent - review
Moanaa - Descent - review
Tracklist
01. Sunset Growing Old02. Repulsive
03. Lit
04. Zero
05. Lost In The Noise
06. Ion...
07. ...Mills
08. Away
A review by
tea[m]ster October 30, 2014
During its 60 minute excursion Descent does an elevated job creating an overwhelming atmosphere through portions of sensitive moments of slower instrumental speculation and violent, powerful sections. The post-metal genre is clearly defined by specific descriptions and the check list for post-metal requirements on Descent have been, well, checked off. Trendy characteristics as follows:
☑ complex melodies that abandon the verse-chorus method
☑ distorted, down-tuned guitars and reverb
☑ thick bass
☑ lengthy, crescendo-styled songs
☑ minimalist vocals and drum work
Is this album any different from other "post" material released in the last couple years? No, but the execution vaults Descent into the upper tier of its kind. The music is deep but not necessarily concealed, and the loud instrumentation flourishes without losing its sense of direction. Sometimes, post-metal meanders off the beaten path, making you wonder why the heck a 9 minute song feel like it turned into 18. Moanaa have created a sound constantly on the move. Also, when the ambient spaciness displaces aggression, gorgeous flowing undercurrents drift their way to surging build-ups and explosions; the electronics and programming are stunning. Finally, the production and guitar tone are top notch quality. None of the instruments sound buried and the dynamics and motions ease from song to song. The best parts about this album are the thick, layered guitars, all the moving parts and sophisticated sequences gelled unanimously together and the essential replay value that comes with projects of this magnitude. The songs are really well written and absorbed me so to continue to look for elite post-metal. Because, let's face it, the genre as a whole is really starting to get monotonous.
Moanaa, have created a style of post-metal that's air tight when the pressure from the music is dense and yet spacious when the surroundings allow for floating through the environs. There's not much egoism in the presentation, the nerve center is the entire body of work as a whole and the luminous mystique that's generated. The cover artwork is genius, a really telling portrait of the dissonance that appears on the album. I can't wait to see what these guys do next.
Give it a try over here.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 10 |
| Originality: | 7 |
| Production: | 9 |
Written on 30.10.2014 by
Written on 30.10.2014 by
Be gentle, I never said I was any good at this! Comments
Comments:
13
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281 users
 Posts: 3099 |
Posts: 3099
We've got a strong contender for post-metal AOTY here, I'd say. Spot on review too, this concise statement in particular: Quote: This album really does demonstrate the qualities I'd desire of a post-metal record, and it does so very well for a debut at that! Very rewarding listening.
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Posts: 242
It might be that your link is broken. I googled the bandcamp page and listening right now... sounds like my Ding.
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Posts: 1122 Written by Hallford9000 on 30.10.2014 at 13:52 On top of that it redirects to a potentially malicious website, so this must be fixed immediately.
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Posts: 3523
Really accurate review  And superb artwork! Being someone who's a bit of a harder sell on extreme vocals, I ended up waiting for when they would switch back to clean, but that's more a personal taste than anything. I think my choice for now would be the album closer, "Away." Thanks!
---- "After silence that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music." - Aldous Huxley
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Posts: 242
Had a listen and a half. Not bad, a good 8 from me so far. But nothing ever has topped Isis' Panopticon so far. And I've listened to a huge number of post-metal albums in the last few years...
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Posts: 4280 Written by R'Vannith on 30.10.2014 at 13:07 Agree. I really don't see too much competition...
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Posts: 1342
This sounds pretty interesting indeed. Thanks for the review!
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Posts: 5277 Written by Dream Taster on 31.10.2014 at 02:52 Was a pleasure to write! Now all I need is a staffer to fix the link to the website page *Hint* Do you have access to do that? I can edit reviews, but I don't see that portion of the review anywhere 
---- rekt
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Posts: 1342 Written by tea[m]ster on 31.10.2014 at 02:59 Sorry I'm not following. What do you need fixed?
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Posts: 3099 Written by Dream Taster on 31.10.2014 at 03:22 It's fixed, nevermind. 
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Posts: 5277 Written by Michaelis on 01.11.2014 at 01:39 I can't put this album down. I think I shorted myself a bit on the rating. If I had to do it over I would give it a solid 9 - it's that amazing. The song "Lit" sends chills down my spine.
---- rekt
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