Mass Movement of the Moth is a band doing it the right way. Playing together for years and making a name for themselves in the DC hardcore scene and to some extent the whole Northeast, the band's first official release came just last year. Once the releases started, they didn't stop, and the hardcore world as a whole was introduced to what Mass Movement of the Moth had to offer. With their debut full length CD, Outerspace, Mass Movement of the Moth has hit a milestone as a band that started years ago, as well as shown the hardcore community why rushing into early releases may not be the best route to take.
It would be impossible to describe Outerspace, or Mass Movement of the Moth as a whole, in one word or genre. Hardcore is obliviously the first word that comes to mind, but one word cannot do this record any justice; it would be like calling Saetia "emotional," and leaving it at that. No, this album is not just hardcore: Outerspace is bearded hardcore under a flashing strobe light in the middle of a low budget sci-fi movie. Synthesizers and sound effects abound, this album can take you from one feeling from the next, all at the stroke of a keyboard and a change in tempo. One minute you're in a haunted house from a childhood carnival, the next you're in a bar listening to psychedelic bebop. The progressiveness of this album is obliviously apparent, but not to the point where it comes off as obnoxious or overly experimental. Rather, Outerspace is like a complicated puzzle that fits together perfectly when all the pieces are put into place.
Besides the intense sounds Outerspace emits, the album has so much more to offer then spooky, psychedelic sound effects. The vocals range from singing, yelling and screaming, and even reach death metal growling, with many of them intertwining and rising and falling until a climax is reached. Unlike previous efforts, the vocals are much tighter, all the while retaining the same urgent and ferocious sound as before. Lyrics range from the personal to the political, and are complicated without being overly cryptic.
Why rush into things as a band? With Outerspace, Mass Movement of the Moth shows that sometimes, waiting and perfecting your sound can be better then rushing out and making an album after a few practice sessions and a weekend tour. Outerspace is a breath of fresh air to a scene that is in need of progression, and through all the waiting we've had to go though before a debut album was released, Outerspace proves that it has all been worth the wait.
