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Category: Progressive Music Lounges
Forum Name: Suggest New Bands and Artists
Forum Description: Suggest, create polls, and classify new bands you would like included on Prog Archives
URL: http://www.progarchives.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=100393 Printed Date: April 24 2024 at 23:40 Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.01 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Black Moon Circle (Norway) for Space RockPosted By: Svetonio
Subject: Black Moon Circle (Norway) for Space Rock
Date Posted: November 22 2014 at 20:50
Black Moon Circle is dedicated to dark psychedelic space rock, driven by a disposition towards prolonged jams. BMC releasedtheir first album on vinyl on the danish label Space Rock Productions. Their new album Andromeda is released by Crispin Glover Records/Stickman Records in october 2014
The self-titled debut from Norwegian trioBlack Moon Circlemakes little effort to mask its intent. It is a space rock record, built around three heavy jams split effectively onto two vinyl sides, and for all its sense of exploration, improvisation and general farouttery, there’s an encouraging lack of pretense. Based in Trondheim, which on the average December day will see roughly five hours of sunshine — in June, that goes to over 20 hours per day — the core three-piece of vocalist/bassistØyvin Engan, guitarist/vocalistVemund Enganand drummerPer Andreas Gulbrandsenteamed up with none other thanØresund Space Collectiveswirlmaster and friend of the siteScott “Dr. Space” Hellerfor the recording ofBlack MoonCircle, andHeller‘s noisemaking and matter/energy disruptors contribute much to the open feel and heavy psych feel of the release. He’s proved ready to jam under most circumstances — this year’sRoadburnhad him paired withCarlton MeltonandØresund Space Collectivehave a collaboration forthcoming withDamo SuzukiofCan— so that he’d be malleable toBlack Moon Circle‘s “Enigmatic SuperBandit” is relatively expected, though how well the fit works winds up a pleasant surprise, asBlack Moon Circleretain some of the roots of structured songwriting amid their propensity for jamming out into the stellar reaches across “Plains” (8:22), “American Eagle” (5:28) and the side-B-consuming “Enigmatic SuperBandit” (14:24). Their debut feels quick at a little over 28 minutes, but it is an engaging single-LP nonetheless that is able to pull together a cohesive vibe with apparent ease in that time. You won’t hear me complain.
And of course, calling inDr. Spaceto add nebulas of effects to the songs isn’t going to hurt either, butBlack Moon Circledistinguish themselves even apart from that partnership, with a languid rolling groove on “Plains” that sets up the flow to play out over the subsequent two pieces. Each song has plenty of room to jam, and theEngans andGulbrandsenuse that time well, but both “Plains” and “American Eagle” — presumably not named after the clothing company, though one never knows — make an impression with their verses and choruses as well, a laid back sense of structure emerging that moves well into and through wah-soaked spaces. It’s telling when they bring back the chorus of “Plains” after an extended guitar solo to finish out the song with a proper bookend, showing commitment to songwriting as well as to instrumental exploration, and that balance servesBlack Moon Circleover the course of “American Eagle” and even “Enigmatic SuperBandit” as well. It’s a mood and dreamy feel not so unlike what New York heavy psych jammersSun Voyagerhave concocted in their early going, and some post-shoegaze vocal similarity can be heard too, but that seems most likely to be a case of shared root influences and sonic coincidence, and one can just as likely hear some early 2000s Swedish heavy rock —Dozer,Lowrider– at work underneath “American Eagle” as anything more recent. Either way,Black Moon Circledo well taking these elements and beginning to carve out their own feel from them, “American Eagle” breaking cleanly at about 3:30 in to shift into a bluesy, open-sounding build of a solo before also returning to its central hook, no less encompassing than that of the opener.
- See more at: http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/05/28/black-moon-circle-black-moon-circle-review/#sthash.aUFehmh3.dpuf" http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/05/28/black-moon-circle-black-moon-circle-review/" rel="nofollow - http://theobelisk.net/obelisk/2014/05/28/black-moon-circle-black-moon-circle-review/
Replies: Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 07:41
I wasn't convinced, based on their self-titled debut, although they are partially collaborating with Scott Heller (OSC). They we're rejected eight months ago ... Now, as they have another album on the table, we're going from scratch
Posted By: Svetonio
Date Posted: November 23 2014 at 11:26
Rivertree wrote:
I wasn't convinced, based on their self-titled debut, although they are partially collaborating with Scott Heller (OSC). They we're rejected eight months ago ... Now, as they have another album on the table, we're going from scratch
This is another young band that I found in a week that they changed their direction from the stoner rock to progressive psychedelia as we like; it's a good sign!
Posted By: Rivertree
Date Posted: November 24 2014 at 16:23
as we all must accept ... not every psychedelic and/or space rock band offers progressive rock music, no matter how prolific they are.
BLACK MOON CIRCLE appears to be such a band, the new album is a proper exemplar enclosing an excellent title track, no doubt, but does not point into a new direction, nor do they themselves claim to be a prog band, what I can see.
I still would classify them as an indie/alternative psych outfit based on blues, grunge, doom and stoner elements