Black Moth - Anatomical Venus
This has taken me an age to do and, even after umpteen listens, I haven’t reached a conclusion - part of me loves Black Moth’s third album and part of me… doesn't.
Good things, first. The music is full of energy. There is precision riffing and squealing solos from guitarists Nico Carew and Jim Swainston. Dave Vachon (bass) and Dom McCready (drums) provide thundering rhythm. Harriet Bevan is a powerful singer with a great rock voice. The songs are well written and catchy as hell.
Now, the negatives. Black Moth describe themselves as stoner-rock - which makes me expect down-tuned, sludgy, monolithic more-Sabbath-than-Sabbath riffing – whilst this sounds more like 80s style power-metal, being more Maiden, Priest or Helloween than Sleep or Electric Wizard. The lyrics are myth-and-black-magic bunkum straight out of a Cliched Metal Lyrics manual were such a thing to exist.
I really can’t make up my mind about this. When I love it, I feel I should hate it. When I hate it, I want to love it. I haven’t felt this confused about an album since Killing Joke’s Pandemonium nearly three decades ago! On balance, the good positives outweigh the negatives. Whatever, Black Moth are cracking live. See you in the mosh pit when they hit the Waterfront on 15th February!
6/10
