Review Summary: Perfection embodied in musical form.
Albums that resonate with the listener in a deeply personal way are few and far between – over the course of my journey through music appreciation and criticism, it is quite rare that I have come across records that are quite literally ‘perfect’ in every sense of the word. These albums may possess qualities such as amazing replay value or perhaps they have connotations regarding strong emotional connections to the said material on offer. Never in my life have I heard an album that has literally transcended the barrier of being absolutely perfect like State Faults’ ‘Children of the Moon’. Prior to hearing the album, I had heard very little of the band’s material. So you can imagine my surprise diving head-first into this absolute monolith of a record, simply to discover that perfection in musical form can be attained.
Screamo has definitely experienced a return to greatness over the past few years, with multiple acts, new and old alike, releasing material which harks back to the glory days of the genre. Bands such as Frail Body, Suis La Lune and Boneflower (to mention but a few) have all capitalized on the resurgence of popularity in the vein of true screamo to an extent where the style is again widely recognized as a force to be reckoned with in modern times. Extremely passionate, very melodic and incredibly poignant are features of said bands’ sound and this album is no exception, taking all the ingredients of past and present screamo and combining it to a sensational effect. ‘Children of the Moon’ could be considered as a concept album of sorts – there seems to be a recurrent theme spread across the fourteen tracks on offer here, with the concept focusing on self-realization. The lyrics deal with intense ideas regarding life and death, transcendence into otherworldly mindsets and a very common lyrical theme of ‘light’ which is noted on several tracks such as Palo Santo, Leviathan and album closer Bodega Head.
Put simply, every second of this album is golden – from the frantic, banshee-esque shrieks that flower the album to the insanely memorable guitar leads; the album drips in beautifully constructed song arrangements. There is nothing that seems out of place during the course of the album runtime. Blood Moon essentially kickstarts the journey, being a short and punchy introduction to these guys’ ability to engage the listener in a flurry of tasteful guitar playing and bombastic drumming. Palo Santo features a chorus that will inevitably worm it’s way into your memory, with brilliant clean vocals to boot. However, the album builds in intensity as it carries the listener through – tracks such as Divination, Nazar and Palm Reader showcase a heavier side to the band with Divination in particular being a monstrous song with some exceptional tapping and brilliant use of space to emphasize just how crushing the band can be. No Gospel takes atmosphere and epic songwriting to a new level – the quality never lets up. I’d be silly if I didn’t mention just how incredible every track here is. ‘Children of the Moon’ encompasses everything that makes screamo great and more – certain moments on the album still send shivers down my spine every time I hear them, such as the lyric ‘the emptiness is a womb, not a grave’ in Divination or the way Transfiguration builds from a beautiful and very melodic first half to some of the most creative guitar tapping I’ve ever heard in the latter half of the song. The blastbeats on Nazar tear my face off every time I hear it – the musicianship on Wind Song and the fragility of the album’s closer Bodega Head resonates deep in my heart and soul literally every time I listen. So many moments on ‘Children of the Moon’ are utterly awe-inspiring. Synergistically speaking, the band are on absolute top form – every piece of the puzzle fits neatly together to form a package that could be considered the pinnacle of the group’s career. Maybe so, but it is refreshing to hear a band that have produced one of the all time greatest albums ever out of nowhere.
In the genre alone, this is a masterpiece. Musically in general, the same thesis can be applied. If you haven’t heard this, I implore you check it out. Quite possibly the best screamo album ever made.
