Gospel
The Moon Is a Dead World


5.0
classic

Review

by pixiesfanyo USER (118 Reviews)
May 29th, 2008 | 2020 replies


Release Date: 2005 | Tracklist

Review Summary: 'you look so good you make me not want to kill myself'

Gospel will always remain in my head as the best example of hardcore I've ever seen expressed live. Appearance wise the four members of the band looked like they belonged in an Andrew W.K. video. When they came through my town with Hot Cross, I immediately decided to go to the show after I heard a couple of things. One, that their debut record "The Moon is a Dead World" was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. Two, that said album was going to be released by Level Plane records who at the time had put out a fury of really, really great material. Gospel was certainly poised to be quite the enjoyable show from my viewpoint, but I didn't expect anything close to what I heard when I actually got to the venue. Comparatively there are two big things Gospel seem to have a love for; Yes and mid-90s screamo. Vocally clear indications that Gospel is following in the steps of Northeast bands like Shotmaker or Three Penny Opera. But, instrumentally the band produces a bizarre form of progressive rock with 12-string guitars, synths, and an extremely impressive drummer. Every member of the band is extremely skilled, but the drummer really is the force which helps blend songs like "Golden Dawn" into gigantic progressive anthems eased by the prowess involved in their numerous rhythm shifts. Gospel's music is heavy, dense, and technical but most of all it's emotionally aggressive, something that makes the band have a timeless appeal.

As I said before "The Moon is A Dead World" was produced by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. Ballou has a production sound which is known for giving a raw aggressive edge to already extremely aggressive music. Clearly the production is extremely important to an album that is as textural as this one and the way Ballou makes this band sound is nothing short of amazing. It is lo-fi prog. rock which sounds like it would never work, but ends up marvelously. Touching back on "Golden Dawn" most bands that have lengthy songs tend to using ambience or slower softer sections to help ease the listener through the song, "Golden Dawn" is heavy the entire way through. By heavy though I'm not implying the singer is screaming the entire time or that guitar solos are just extending to nowhere. "Golden Dawn" is heavy because of its sense of urgency, a constantly plodding track that seems like it is constantly building itself for a bigger and better moment. It's bittersweet with emotion and it seems at any moment it could just collapse into an incomprehensible mess of noise. Somehow the track never does though; right as you expect it to collapse, it just ascends back into the original riff that started the song off, aided by a subtle synth part. The track is desolate and seems to represent some kind of poetic description of the apocalypse both lyrically and musically.

"and its only just a matter of time
before we all gotta go underground.
and for whats its worth
they ain't got no drugs down there."



"Paper Tigon" and "And Redemption Fills the Emptiest of Hearts" follow with a less progressive tone, touching more in a post-hardcore realm. "Paper Tigon" is highlighted by a guitar solo that occurs around 2:23. It's further embellished when the synth line plays the exact same progression that the guitar was playing and it builds the album back to the tense nature that we felt during "Golden Dawn". "And Redemption Fills the Emptiest of Hearts" starts off very frantic, but during its bridge breaks into a very melodic and slow paced guitar solo that is a side of Gospel we have not seen up until this point on the record. It helps shift the mood into a more ethereal instrumentally soft atmosphere. Preparing us for the instrumental "Opium" which somewhat acts as a break in the madness that we've heard so far. "What Means of Witchery" starts off with one of the most stereotypical emo build-ups ever. Gospel is clearly wearing the influence of City of Caterpillar and Funeral Diner during the first few minutes of the track. I'm not saying that this makes the introduction to the track bad; it’s probably one of the most well composed portions of the record. What Gospel does with the build up is even more impressive though. While you would expect an explosion of aggression after the build-up it never comes, the drums are pounding, the guitars are drifting and when that point of urgency finally arrives everything goes silent except for a simple drum fill. The track then bursts into what can only be describe as psychedelic. It is probably one of the most interesting and original things I've ever heard on a hardcore record and definitely one of the key points on "The Moon is a Dead World". Screams fly everywhere and more metallic riffing emerges after the psychedelic guitar part helps remind the listener that this is one hell of a heavy band. The song consummates by returning to the original psychedelic line and slowly fading out. The final track "As Far As You Can Throw Me" seems to be the most personal track. It is a dizzying mostly synth based track that seems to work the drummer to his brink. The song certainly brings the record to a close with a very melancholy feel.

"so let's hold this close
and we'll fall back to whats ours
i've got enough pills
to last us both a couple of hours
and we'll count our stars it won't come to soon."


Around the time I picked this record up I made some claim about it being comparable to City of Caterpillar's debut. A record that wouldn't be realized as the classic it was until much later in the future. Well, one thing that certainly evokes City of Caterpillar did happen to Gospel, they broke up after only releasing one album. This has certainly impacted the legacy the group and this does seem like a little known classic. I consider it a perfect record and a bizarrely progressive sound that probably will never have any peers to it’s depressingly, intense sound.

"and so i push y'all away
and i wish you a fast recovery.
all the time wishing clots upon your heart."




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Comments:Add a Comment 
Doppelganger
May 29th 2008


3124 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

album rules review rules

NortherlyNanook
May 29th 2008


1286 Comments


Ridiculously wonderful album. Better review than before.

By the way, just in case you forgot, your Domestica edit was also wiped in the crash. Just saying, since it was a more fitting review.

StreetlightRock
May 29th 2008


4017 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

Fantastic album, and a review to match.

sgrevs
May 29th 2008


698 Comments


I should listen to this. Nice review.

Jawaharal
May 29th 2008


1832 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This and Witness are probably my favorite hardcore records of the 2000's. Every song is so good.

br3ad_man
May 29th 2008


2126 Comments


Wonderful review, the way you described What Means of Witchery was perfect. The way that song builds up is amazing, like the build-up to that section around 3:00. Because of all the double kick and the super intense riffing you expect this enormous fill or something to reintroduce introduce the song and instead it just goes "boom da boom" and then kicks into the coolest riff ever.

Most days of the week, this is my favourite hardcore album. I wish that at least the drummer would do another band.

I have a video of a full set, I think from the Hot Cross tour. If anyone wants it, let me know.

StrizzMatik
May 29th 2008


4183 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0 | Sound Off

This record is so f*cking good it's not funny.

PatchworkNeurology
May 29th 2008


352 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

This record is just beautiful.

It's a shame their now dead.

R.I.P. Gospel...



"It was like a lovely golden dawn"



BTW does anyone know where I can find the lyrics to

these songs?



Thanks!

astrel
May 29th 2008


2615 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

This record is so f*cking good it's not funny.


br3ad_man
May 30th 2008


2126 Comments


BTW does anyone know where I can find the lyrics to

these songs?


Their myspace
has them
I think

Intransit
May 30th 2008


2797 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

If not they are on song meanings.



One of my favorite emo/post-hardcore albums everererer.

fireaboveicebelow
May 31st 2008


6835 Comments

Album Rating: 4.5

goddamn this is awesome.

great review also, thank you

Aficionado
May 31st 2008


1027 Comments

Album Rating: 3.5

Cool album, cool review though I think I preferred the previous intro.

The Jungler
May 31st 2008


4826 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

Awesome album, awesome review.

iarescientists
June 1st 2008


5865 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

[quote=iluvatar]hey you you got a cigarette man yeah I know you got one on ya[/quote]



it was inevitable some fag was going to post this



i'm sad to see you've sunk so low john



Apocalyptic Raids
June 1st 2008


810 Comments

Album Rating: 4.0

great album

Killed4less
June 3rd 2008


328 Comments

Album Rating: 5.0

This has grown on me so much over the past couple months. Such a unique and amazing album.



Br3ad I'd love to see that video.

Minus The Flair
Emeritus
June 3rd 2008


870 Comments


This review made me finally check this out. It sounds pretty incredible on first listen, so thanks for that.

br3ad_man
June 4th 2008


2126 Comments


Upping the video now.

br3ad_man
June 4th 2008


2126 Comments


http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0P2D8AOI



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