I’ve joked with FlightOfIcarus in the past that we could cover a metal band from Poland every few days and realistically not run out of material, as the country has generated just as many if not more artists than some of the bigger ones out there. And with a recent CD delivery from Deformeathing Production, we’re going to continue doing that. The first from that batch is the third album from post metal/doom band Moanaa, Embers, which follows their 2019 EP Torches. Torches brought some significant lineup changes to Moanaa, with a new drummer, guitarist, and bassist joining, which introduced some new elements to their already diverse sound. Compared to some of their earlier discography, Embers reigns things in for a more compact and focused listening experience that still isn’t afraid to jump a little outside of the typical post metal box.
Post metal and post rock may pull from some different sets of influences, but one commonality between the two is they tend to be long and drawn out. Diving into an album in either of these genres usually takes an hour or more, with the upper tier justifying these spans of time and some of the other bands falling too quickly into repetition. Moanaa’s more compact approach on Embers is appreciated, as they offer six songs of varying length and are able to make the most of their run times no matter whether they sprawl outwards or go for a quicker burst of instrumentation. “Nothing” starts things off showcasing the band at their heaviest, with slower, methodical riffs that have a considerable amount of weight to them and drums that feel like they can kick right through walls. This track also showcases the type of variation Moanaa can pack in a single track, as the slower post metal/doom grooves pick up into some black metal style blasting and softer melodies that channel Cult of Luna’s quieter moments. As you get further into Embers, the heavy passages start to come in more controlled bursts and the band spends just as much time exploring darker melodies that hover over the recording. “Expire” and the title track in particular weave in some melancholic tones, bringing some shoegaze and even some softer jazz to my mind with how everything comes together. It’s likely to take a few times through to catch all the nuances of each song, but Moanaa weaves them together in a compelling manner and the dark yet powerful hooks of pieces like “Inflexion” have continued to stick with me.
The vocals are the one area of the band’s music that could prove to be a bit hit or miss for some people. When you hit play, you’re immediately greeted with a gruffer pitch that’s somewhere between a very low singing range and a growl. I’ve seen some comparisons made to groups like Crowbar, and that seems accurate alongside early Mastodon and even a little bit of noise rock and grunge. It’s the type of harsh/clean combination that’s a love or hate for some people, but I found it suited the music early on and K-vass’ approach changes over the course of Embers. Though K-vass has been with the band since 2014’s Descent, what I’ve heard from the other two albums he’s tried some different things with his vocals on each one and that’s something I can appreciate. Once you get to songs like “Triad” softer singing is brought into the mix that has a shoegaze/alternative rock vibe and adds another layer to the material. A few of the harsher ranges felt a bit rough around the edges to me, but there’s still something to be said for how much variation Moanaa is attempting with their vocal work.
Moanaa still incorporates some exploration into black metal and post rock territory, but this still feels like a much more focused effort where the additional stylistic elements make sense within the flow of the songs. There’s a lot of substance here that is sure to draw in fans of bands like Cult of Luna and Isis, with the way the material captures the nuances of powerful, heavy sections and darker, subdued ones proving to be captivating. Some of the vocal work might prove to be a bit love or hate, but if you can get past that element this is a highlight from earlier in 2021 that you may have missed. Also worth mentioning is the quality of the paneled digipack which features a lot of cool artwork, so kudos to Deformeathing Production for putting that level of detail into a CD when so many labels are only going to those lengths for vinyl.
-Review by Chris Dahlberg
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