ALBUM REVIEW: Moon Is – Heavy Blanket
J. Mascis will be an obscure name in the pages of the rock encyclopaedia to many (and for those of us who are unfamiliar with DINOSAUR JR.), however the American guitarist has an incredible musical pedigree. Firstly he is the principle songwriter, singer and guitarist of the aforementioned DINOSAUR JR., one of the masterminds behind Vermont/Massachusetts-based stoner band WITCH, and the guitarist has also had solo career success within the last decade alongside being part of a plethora of projects spanning the punk and rock spectrum. Now after a ten year sojourn, Mascis has brought his instrumental stoner/psych side project HEAVY BLANKET out of its heavy slumber. Moon Is is the product of a riff raid in Mascis‘ vault, making it a veritable feast of psychedelic proto-metal brilliance.
With a plethora of rock history behind it, Moon Is is a cultivation of years worth of riffs, jams and musical experimentation. With a surprising amount of depth HEAVY BLANKET take you on a blues rock-infused, proto-metal journey, with mind bending forays of guitar virtuosity. Overdriven, fuzzy, warm and earthy, Moon Is feels like a comfort blanket for your soul; you can escape into its many folds and feel at home. There is so much kaleidoscopic colour throughout the album, with each listen you see new shapes and really take in and marvel at the nuance of Mascis‘ performance, songwriting and compositional skill.
Your imagination conjures up imagery of flying over the many vast landscapes of the world, the sun is just the right temperature as you effortlessly glide around the world, soaring on the magnificent licks and solos that HEAVY BLANKET provide. Or you’re simply around the fire with the men that adorn the album’s cover, chatting about the stars as you look deeply into the flames – either one is comfortable. The appeal of the album comes from its rawness, and how the purest of musical emotions can move you. While it doesn’t break any new ground, what it does well it does consistently and effortlessly. Moon Is feels like a very self-aware and conscious album; with a distinct push and pull dynamic that transcends all six songs, it guides you through this crazy psychedelic world with purpose. The most magical thing about it is it doesn’t need lyrics to do so.
Every now and again you get a stoner or psychedelic album that goes back to the roots, the very core of what it is to write slow, spacey riffs with incredible amounts of groove and guitar leads that seemed to have managed interdimensional travel. Just like HEAVY BLANKET’s 2012 self-titled debut EP, Moon Is thrusts you back to a time where pushing your valves and overdrive to the max was the best way to sound heavy. While it is still a very raw album, this record captures the band’s core essence magnificently, and it is incredibly easy just to get enraptured by it all as you sit back and let it all wash over you.
The album opens up with leading single Danny – a swinging and shuffling song packed with many layers of groove and staccato rhythms. Here we get the first taste of Mascis‘ crazy ability to evolve solos as the song progresses. Crushed brings in those proto-metal riffs that HEAVY BLANKET have become known for, galloping across the celestial plains whilst a catchy lead riff reminds you of those early IRON MAIDEN records. Title track Moon Is is more bass centric, with the majority of the song being driven by its low, fuzzy rumbles. It also leans more into the stoner side, with a lot more space in the lead guitar to allow the groove to really be felt.
At the heart of the album is the eight-minute epic String Along – a track that slowly crescendos into a trippy and triumphantly swirling psych rock epic with thunderous drums. It is as if the whole band has let loose on this track and it is wonderfully chaotic. Eyevoid brings the chaotic energy down in a much more structured bluesy way, with a deep groove and foot tapping shuffle leading into the spacey album closer Say It To You. The final track contains the album’s only sung vocals buried deep in the song, but they reverberate around the main instruments to create a really spacey atmosphere as Mascis unleashes a note frenzy throughout.
Moon Is is an album that nourishes your soul with its raw charm, and helps your imagination let loose as you get lost in its crazy kaleidoscopic world. Considering that this has been growing for the past ten years in J. Mascis‘ riff vault, it fits perfectly into the modern day stoner/psych soundscape as well as giving us a good dose of nostalgia.
Rating: 8/10
Moon Is is set for release on January 27th via Outer Battery Records.
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