ALBUM REVIEW: Slumber Wood – Moon Coven

MOON COVEN have already made a name for themselves making slab-heavy stoner rock that pushes for gritty, fuzzed up tones and doomy melodies. They’re a true no nonsense, psychedelic stomp fest, and fans have been waiting five long years for new material. On their latest record Slumber Wood, it appears things are just as heavy as ever.

Further is a solid, slow burn opener. Doomy, thick riffs and classically reverbed vocals set the scene. There’s little faff or show off to this, just nicely played with a good amount of stomp. Ceremony is equally good fun, a nice melody and plenty to sing along to, with good vocals over the main bulk of some heavy riffing. For a tune that relies for a long while on you enjoying its simplicity, its latter half does pull into new territory nicely, with just enough menace to maintain your attention for the six minutes of play time.

There is definitely something a little different to Gîbekli Tepe/Potbelly Hill. With its sway more towards the psychedelic, the mesmerising guitar work that introduces it allows enough time to settle in and enjoy the crunch of the biting central tone. It’s got some grit and some venom to it, and with the more ethereal menace elements taking a hold for the most part, it’s a decent tune. The vocals, while definitely suited to the genre and the mood, do feel a little more like one-tone shouting, and would be nice to see some variation in that by this point in the record.

Eye Of The Night is a real swinger; there’s swagger and a confident air about it. Thankfully, while not much has changed for the vocals, combined with the music everything all flows as one piece here, rather than the vocals feeling like an add on. Everything is complimentary as things descend and swing around into the super smooth hook.

A moment’s reflection as the sonically abstract A Tower Of Silence washes over, cleansing the pallet for the latter part of the record. Bahgsu Nag has the energy of something raring to go, chomping at the bit with its groove and sway inducing motions. It’s much more in the seventies inspired part of the MOON COVEN sound, and the range of expressions here are much more layered and enjoyable than just simple stomp-to doom. You barely notice that you’ve gotten to the half way point in this track, as the beat and the tranquil guitars, and heavy bass draw you into a trance like state. As things unfold and unravel, guitars become more indulgent, more expressive and the entire ensemble feels more hypnotic than ever.

Back to an aggressive stomp sound, Seagull has plenty of menace and haunting groove to keep listeners entertained, and if you like this vocal styling then you’ll have no problems. The swoops and glides between biting melodies and sweet spots of enchanting downtime give an airy freedom that definitely suits the title; the brutal sea and it’s ever changing mood are the vehicle for the sturdy sound of the band.

Final outing My Melting Mind feels like an extension from the previous song, but with more emphasis on that heavy, slow burn. There are some nice breaks with clean, light guitar work that raises it out of becoming too monotonous, while maintaining a weight and gravitas.

If you like your riffs solid, doomy with plenty of fuzz, with no nonsense vocals and a solid groove, this is for you. If you like some psychedelic elements and a trippy side to your melancholy, then you’ve got yourself a top album with Slumber Wood. There’s a little bit of a by the numbers feel that doesn’t push this record to huge heights, but there’s plenty to love here. All quality, with few risks, this is some decent work that ticks all the boxes.

Rating: 7/10

Slumber Wood is out now via Ripple Music.

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