Release
date: July 20th
2018. Label: New
Heavy
Sounds. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl
Under
The Strawberry Moon 2.0 –
Tracklisting
1.
Black Moon
2.
Hidden Garden
3.
Spoon
4.
Symptom of the Blacklab
5.
Warm Death
6.
His Name Is ...
7.
Fall and Rise
8.
Big Muff
Members
Yuko
Morino, guitar and vocals
Chia
Shiraishi, drums.
Review
It’s
strange. I felt some sort of familiarity with Blacklab before I ever
listened to one single solitary note of this record. Honestly, no
idea why. After listening to this monster and having my mind
absolutely melted I understood why. This record by this Japanese Doom
Witch Duo is the record I would make if I had any music ability
whatsoever (I don’t), Under The Strawberry Moon 2.0 is absolutely
brilliant. It is raw and intense and down right heavy. Blacklab bring
elements of doom, drone, sludge and black metal to their wildly
intense sound. The recording is spot on. The sound is raw, but
not lo fi. The guitars and drums will absolutely melt your face. The
vocals are delivered in both Japanese and English and are at times
harmonious, whispered, screamed or growled. The band also shows
musical chops with dynamic changes and intensity delivered in every
song.
Black
Moon
opens
the record with a monster riff and driving drums. The vocals come
with a Sabbath inspired sound before drifting in to some blackened
metal screams. Some heavy fuzzed out wah brings in the trippy Hidden
Garden, which
slays from the first to last note. A dark, Doomy guitar intro ushers
in Spoon,
with big drums and blasts of guitar. Symptom
of the Blacklab uses
the iconic open riff of the Sabbath classic before the band turns it
over and puts their own noisy spin on this all to brief instrumental.
Warm
Death
follows
with a dark, bass driven groove and muted lyrics that explode into
skull shattering black metal sludge and then turning to close a
monstrous rocking outro. A riff rocking intro brings His
Name Is
to
life. The song has a heavy groove oriented feel that carries into
Fall
and Rise
which
keeps the groove moving but with a darker, doomier vibe and another
raucous change in to a sludge heavy outro. The record closes with a
salute to one of the most beloved of distortion pedals. Big
Muff
is
a distortion and feedback filled 8 minutes sans vocals or drums. Just
droning noise in the realm of Sunn/Earth/Melvins. A fitting close to
a righteous ritual.
There
is a tremendous feeling to discovering something new and exciting.
When a band comes out of nowhere and floors you as Blacklab have
done, it is a beautiful thing. This self described Doom Witch Duo
have somehow managed to put out the record I hear in my head. I
absolutely fucking love Under the Strawberry Moon 2.0. Blacklab have
delivered a nearly perfect record. Get this and listen to it!
Words by Todd Stealey
Thanks
to I
Like Press for the promo. Under The Strawberry Moon 2.0 will be
available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via New Heavy Sounds from July 20th
2018.
Links:
