Möse - Halfway To Nowhere (CD)

Review
Metal-Daze
11.10.2012

MÖSE se forma luego de que dos integrantes de la banda belga THEE PLAGUE Of GENTLEMEN abandonaran la misma allá por el año 2004 (hablamos de Karel y David). Lo de MÖSE se ubica musicalmente en el Doom, pero también en el llamado Sludge (con cositas Stoner en su sonido), y esto es algo que se plasma claramente en el disco debut, lanzado allá por 2008 por Solitude Productions, el interesantísimo label ruso que los fichara por esos años.
Algo que llama la atención una vez que uno se pone a escuchar el álbum (que contiene solo 7 composiciones) es lo lejos, y atrás en la mezcla que ha quedado la voz. ¿Sera a propósito? Si lo fue, debo decir que fue acertada la decisión, ya que la misma, junto a los densos riffs producen climas únicos en las canciones, algo que tal vez se hubiera perdido si la voz hubiera estado mas al frente en el resultado final.
“Hijack Hotel” y ”Glass” simplifican lo que la banda nacida y criada en Bélgica pretende transmitir: pesadez y densidad, en plan Sludge, pero con una raíz pura, “doombeta”, muy oscura.
Debo recomendar la escucha atenta del material, teniendo en cuenta cada riff, cada pasajes, cada cambio de ritmo, para adentrarse en el material y disfrutarlo (o no, según sea el caso) hasta entender por donde viene la cosa.
Lo de MÖSE es interesante, pese a que este material se editó cuatro años atrás, pero inmejorable la oportunidad para desmenuzar un debut de alta calidad, como poco se escucha por estos días.
La última palabra la tienen Uds.

Author: Gustavo Piccini

Review
Diztorted Dimension
23.09.2009

Депрессивный и монотонный сладж в исполнении матершинников бельгийцев как-то не внятно шумит в колонках не особо мощным звуком, несколько странными и занудными прогонами поломатых гамм на гитарках, и тихим далеким сорванным в скрим сиплым голосом вокалиста, будто засунутого в одноименное с группой место. Разве, что с ударкой, все если не отлично, то просто хорошо. Монотонно, невыразительно, абсолютно не экспрессивно.

Фото для буклета подобраны абсолютно жанрово, тут, так сказать, дизайнер угадал. Серо-синеватая с грязными вкраплениями (шумом) суицидальная гамма, обрывки образов в виде фото железобетонного моста со всех ракурсов (видимо, где проезжали и остановились, там и пофоткались). Но красоты или художественной ценности для меня тут нет.

И музыканты, в общем-то, со стажем, как в данной группе, так и по отдельности. Из чего я заключаю, что сделали они то, что хотели. Что тут за message заложен, я не разглядел, а слушать это, если уж на прямоту, тягомотное творение более 3-х раз я просто не хочу. Слабо.

Author: Valentii

Review
Doom Mantia
8.5/10
05.11.2009

A very long overdue review of a great band from Belgium and I must thank Twan from Brutalism.Com for making me re-investigate this band. I originally bought the album early this year and it kind of got put aside as I was buying so many albums around that time. After deciding to give this band a much needed re-play I was awestruck as to how good this band is and this album has winner written all over it. The band has members of other great bands from the area, namely "Thee Plague Of Gentlemen" who another band I must listen to again real soon. Mose roughly translated means Sludge and indeed this is a Doom/Sludge album all the way. Once again this is another release on the great Solitude Productions Label and while most of their bands are of the Funeral Doom/Gothic variety, Mose are a different breed all together. Imagine if Fu Manchu all of a sudden became a Doom band and mix that with the brain shattering volume drenched Blues Sludge of Ol Scratch and you will close to the sound of Mose. The extremely powerful stoner riffing of the opening track "People eat dogs in China" just slays, and when the voice comes in it sends you into some sort of Psychedelic shock. They have some vibes that sound a little like Electric Wizard but for the most part this has a hardcore-ish feel, and even a progressive rock feel at times. There is plenty of variation going on, drum beats change regularly and guitar parts sway and move at a constant rate. The main thing here though is the riffs and this album has some killers but also a couple of real duds, not to worry though as they are kept to a minimum. Tracks like "The Levee Will Break" and the instrumental "Gl%ss" have amazing riffing parts and if there was ever a Sludge band made for air-guitaring then this would be the one. The harsh, raspy vocals bring it down to the crust level but once again it is the riffing that is the main action here. Some of the riffs are so good that guitar-breaks and solos almost seem unnecessary at times. There is no filler, its all good but with bands that are this riff - orientated, you are bound to find a couple of moments that don't quite cut it but that is a minor quibble. This is a great album and things can only get better, this band has the potential to one of the best bands in the underground Sludge/Doom scene but it might take another album or two to get there. This album is real good but a couple of ordinary riffs, boring breaks, patchy solos and effects that are used when not really needed spoil tracks that could have been classed as perfection. The album has great artwork, killer production but sadly no lyric sheet which is a pity because the vocals do have a sing-along quality. This is still highly recommended.

Review
Metal Revolution
50/100
25.01.2010

I never did like when something would be slow just to be slow, heavy just to be heavy or dark just to be dark – it feels as if that is the sole purpose of this album. Nay, as you may have guessed this does not become me, at all. These guys aren’t bad musicians - that would be an incorrect and unfair statement to make. But be that as it may, this is a bland album and it does not stand out in any way; those few promising parts that made me think something good was on the way only made me so much more disappointed when it was proven that no such change was going to occur.

While there unfortunately isn’t much good to say about the album – as always, I prefer looking at the positives rather than the negatives, even if the latter outweighs the former – at least the production is really good and you can feel the effort put into making it sound perfect, technically. I am sure the effort is there, trying to make it an awesome album, from the Bulgarian guys behind it, but it just does not cut it in my opinion.

Anyone who is a major fan of doom metal may find this album to be worth putting in their collection – the rest of us can live happily without it on the shelf. Ironically, they finish off the album with the one track that I actually like; “Halfway To Nowhere”.

Check out these guys at http://www.myspace.com/mosedoom

Author: Patrick

Review
The Streets
5/10
29.08.2009

Det er en helt grei debut trioen fra Belgia leverer her. Bandnavnet betyr «sludge» på en lokal flamsk dialekt og da er det allerede avslørt hvilken sjanger de iallfall har et par tær i. I hovedsak dreier det seg om Stoner Metal i skikkelig seig tapning, men noe utradisjonell riffing gjør at vi ikke har med en rendyrket stilstudie å gjøre. Medlemmene har fartstid og fortid fra et par andre semi-kjente band, men det vil de helst ikke skal telle i noen retning, så da lar vi det ligge. Det låter som sagt helt greit og utover det er det vanskelig å la seg engasjere av musikken de presenterer. Det gjør på ingen som helst måte vondt i ørene å lytte til denne skiva, for bandet vet hva de holder på med, men det er ganske enkelt ikke bra nok. Interessen dabber fort av og skiva er helhetlig sett ganske kjedelig, uten å være dårlig.

Author: Rune