Those lovely folks at Metal Blade/Rise Above Records bring you the latest from UK doom/sludge act Moss, titled Horrible Night. These guys have been around a while now, and this latest platter of dirge-ridden mayhem once again shows why they are a favorite on the underground doom scene. Huge, thick, crushing riffs are what Horrible Night is all about, as each lengthy track punishes you with massive waves of power chords & droning feedback. Olly Pearson uses more clean vocals this time around, which for me are the low point of the album, as he seems to be straining to get an Ozzy styled thing going here, which doesn't really work in spots as he's clearly straining. When he slips back into his menacing harsh tone however, you really get the sense of dread that this band normally conveys. The title track especially sees some effective back and forth between the two styles, but "Bleeding Years" and "Dark Lady" suffer from just too much high pitched, nasally wailing. Despite my reservations about the vocals, there's no denying the power of songs like "I Saw Them That Night" and "The Coral of Chaos". This is indeed heavy stuff.
Of course, you have to really love this sort of thing to fully understand and enjoy Horrible Night. Not a lot of variation in tempos happening here, just plenty of slow, plodding, crushing doom, probably too slow for Black Sabbath or Pentagram fans, but followers of Saint Vitus and newer acts like Pallbearer will certainly enjoy this immensely.
Track Listing
1. Horrible Nights
2. Bleeding Years
3. Dark Lady
4. Dreams from the Depths
5. The Coral of Chaos
6. I Saw Them That Night
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