Review Summary: A Fever Dream
“Madness, destruction, death, life, conflict, humanity, confusion & delusion.”
Meat Wave’s 2015 effort
Delusion Moon is sinister and foreboding. From the repeated chants in “Delusion Moon” to the bouncy yet somehow dark melody of “The Gay Contempt”, the album keeps a quick pace and ominous atmosphere throughout. The churning guitars and pounding drums clash at each other in such a way that causes an anxious tone to come through each song. The whole package comes off as sounding as if everything is slowly going mad. This feeling of delirium is the crux of the entire album.
At it’s heart,
Delusion Moon is a punk album through and through. The quick tempo of slashing guitar riffs and punchy drums leave no question on that matter. However, Meat Wave play with a more sleek and subtle approach than with other bands. The songs hit a line between dissonant, layered melodies and an in-your-face directness. Each track, while simple and smooth in structure, show off many complex melodies and feelings.
The overarching themes in
Delusion Moon explore the topics of angst, witchcraft, anxiety, and of course, delusion. The song “Network” deals with frustrations against virtual interactions. “Cosmic Zoo” beats down day-to-day struggles with a ferocious intensity. Songs like “NRA” and “The Gay Contempt” are more about criticising society and politics. The lyrics found throughout each track are dark and cynical. An example from the song “Witchcraft”:
“I never meant to throw your computer out the window.
Now through it I can see one final walk away.
And now I'm ***ed, I feel that everything’s just colours.
And all I see is all that means to me.”
The only gripe I have with this album is that by the time you get to the middle of the album, the songs begin to sound samey. The constant tone of tension and suspense can tire some listeners out. The tracks blend into one another with similar structures and cadences. I, however, like to view this as adding to the sense of delirium mentioned earlier.
Delusion Moon is a well-made and consistent record, worthy of being put on many top lists for 2015. The atmosphere and tone create an experience unique to
Delusion Moon and shows the talent that Meat Wave possesses. Which is a damn shame that I haven’t seen too much talk about this or other albums they put out.
Delusion Moon is a great starting point and something I highly recommend you lo give a chance if you are a fan of the genre.
