ALBUM REVIEW: Phototroph – Moon Tooth
As a genre predominantly dealing in the minor and morose moods, there can sometimes be the impression that you can’t make heavy music that is simultaneously uplifting and a serious artistic statement. With their third album Phototroph, US modern proggers MOON TOOTH convincingly dispel this notion by creating a jubilant record full of musical inventiveness.
Opener I Revere comes in with an instantly immersive clean guitar intro and vocalist John Carbone showing off his powerfully expressive voice. Flexible in range and timbre, his vocal flairs are almost Mariah Carey-esque in approach, or for a more metal reference point, reminiscent of the warm resonance of SEVENDUST’s Lajon Witherspoon. “My heart’s still beating” Carbone belts, setting up the theme of defiant hope which runs through the album – a motif visible in the artwork, with one hand reaching towards a blooming flower in the sky, while the other uproots the negativity from the depths of the soil.
Their first record established MOON TOOTH as a band with an adventurous and sometimes pleasantly odd spin on progressive alternative metal, which the follow up Crux built on by making the songs more focused and tight. This trend is further pursued with Phototroph, which is still progressive, but it is also pop-like in its catchiness and compact songwriting formats, and it is most definitely rocking. Each song is packed full of ideas and interesting sections, but not for a second over-indulging. The laser focus of the compositions is evident with one look at the tracklisting – the longest song out of the 11 does not go beyond the four-and-a-half minute mark.
The grunge-inspired Back Burner comes in with a main riff that would sit confidently on an ALICE IN CHAINS album, and a chorus which gently trudges downwards, faintly echoing STONE TEMPLE PILOTS’s classic Plush. It’s a song bound to sound like a pouncing mammoth when performed live. Alpha Howl is one of the most memorable cuts, with its bulldozer of an opening riff clearing the path for a driven verse and arena-ready chorus – a statement song that deserves to shoot straight to the top of the playlists of modern rock radio stations.
The record itself sounds great – the mix from Josh Wilbur (TRIVIUM, LAMB OF GOD, A DAY TO REMEMBER) finds room for dynamics and each individual instrument to breathe freely. The rhythm section of drummer Ray Marte and bassist Vin Romanelli play technically and musically involved parts without taking focus away from the hooks, while guitarist Nick Lee utilises a guitar tone that is always varied to fit the song, but sounds consistently full and punchy. The powerful voice of John Carbone ties this all together, acting as a real focal point and a unique tool in the band’s arsenal.
The closing track Phototroph acts as a perfect summation of the album, starting with a joyous clean intro and blossoming into an elated fast-paced song that straddles the space between pop-punk and speed metal. Bearing the name of the album, its title references the ability of an organism to orient itself towards a source of light in order to grow. This, ultimately, is a fitting way to describe this record – a sunny, summery flower of an album, Phototroph represents another assured, graceful step towards growth on MOON TOOTH’s journey.
Rating: 8/10
Phototroph is set for release on May 13th via Pure Noise Records.
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