Old Moon—Old Moon EP (2024)

Details

Released on Tuesday 5 November 2024.

For fans of Swallow the Sun, Harakiri for the Sky, Jesu and Gaerea

Band

Michael Priest—Vocals and lyrics, guitars, bass
Jaime Rojo—Orchestra and choir
Tim Cauley—Drums

Live members

Grady Pursel—Guitar
Chris Lagor—Guitar
Ryan Wilkerson—Bass

Tracks

Light keeper (6:19)
Failure (4:05)
Regret (8:29)

Review

Old Moon is the self-titled, debut release from Portland, Oregon black metallers, Old Moon, the brainchild of Michael Priesst (Gone In April, Idolatrous, ex-Boudica). Priest’s vision of a band that blends melodic death metal and post-black metal in a distinct and powerful way successfully creates a space where emotional depth and sonic beauty collide, offering a cathartic experience for listeners drawn to dark, introspective themes.

Priest’s vision to write music that tells the tale of life’s deepest sorrows is reflected in his lyrical themes of depression, grief, loss and death. Music that offers to listeners a cathartic escape through its evocative soundscapes.

“Our songs are stitched together by themes of personal struggle, loss, and death, ” says Priest. “But within these dark spaces, there is a certain beauty in the melancholy—a kind of solace for those who have felt the weight of the world.”

It’s hard to not use the words ‘haunting’ and ‘melodic’ when describing Old Moon. Somehow they have captured a sense of both calmness, supported by a lush orchestration, and an unsettling, intense black metal energy, with guitars that weave melodic intricacies above a churning backdrop of wall-of-noise and the steady percussive heartbeat of Cauley’s drums.

Conclusion

There are moments in this EP that remind me of Justin Broadrick’s Jesu project fused with a myriad of black metal influences. Old Moon blends the power of blackened melodic metal with heart-wrenching lyricism that speaks to the darkest corners of human emotion. This is music to heal a troubled soul.

Review score: 85%

Video

Disclosure

MDPR contacted me inviting me to preview Old Moon’s forthcoming album, thank you. I have no connections to either MDPR or Old Moon. I’m not being paid to review this, but I did get a free digital copy of the album to review which is pretty cool. Many thanks to Zach from MDPR, and to Old Moon for continuing to create fresh, exciting new death metal.