Before I get into this new track, I have to regrettably admit that I only recently learned about Moon Tooth. These guys are AWESOME. The first track that I came across from the band is the single Grimothy from their upcoming album. I was hooked right off the bat. It kicks HARD. It’s got a killer stomp-inducing triplet feel, with killer tones and the singer is a beast with killer melodies.
Moon Tooth was formed in Long Island NY in 2012 and so far have released four full length albums. With John Carbone on vocals, Vincent Romanelli on bass, Nick Lee on guitar and Ray Marte on drums, this is a band that is not to be missed. The band’s 2013 debut EP Freaks is amazing and was a killer first showing. The opening track, Ebb/Flow, lets you know right off the bat that you were in for a ride and the other tracks kept the energy super high with killer parts and solid performances. All four tracks were far more than just any standard genre tracks; there was elements of rock, metal and prog. Their debut full length album Chromaparagon was yet another example of what the bad was capable of with 12 tracks that put all their talent on display. Tracks like Bats In The Attic and Forgive Me Snake Ryder are majestically frenetic. (And they pulled some slick moves like dropping an unrelated violin interlude mid song which, on the surface, seems like it would be wildly out of place, but is really cool…) Lee’s guitar work is astonishingly good. It’s super creative and goes places that I wouldn’t expect. Carbone’s vocals are top notch as well, bringing a ton of power while but keeping an incredibly approachable melodic flow. The bass and drums are in perfect lock-step and also bring great flavors to the tracks. Fortunately Moon Tooth’s material is getting mixed in a way that lets them stand out in the mix, which is something that (to my ears) has been lacking in the last decade. It’s great to hear EVERYTHING in a mix without it sounding like it’s been squished through a tube sounding like one single combined instrument. I want to hear what Romanelli is doing and I absolutely get to hear it on Moon Tooth’s albums. All of their albums are killer. Crux and Phototroph are both packed with great tracks that fuse metal, prog, rock, blues, funk and all kinds of other vibes into seriously cohesive rippers. And they’ve dropped some live and acoustic version albums too that are super good.
The long and short of it is this: If your ears haven’t yet been graced by what Moon Tooth puts out, do yourself a favor and check them out. If you’re a fan of earwormish melodies with the perfect calm-to-power ratio, Carbone’s work is going to grab you. If you’re a low-end junkie, Romanelli’s bass parts will hold you down like a ten ton blanket. Drummers will love Marte’s playing; super involved and creative but perfectly tasty and never overplayed. And Lee’s guitar work? Absolutely crazy good. He’s a monster player. How I didn’t come across these guys before now is a wonder.
While this review got away from just being about a single and turned more into an overall string of thoughts about the band, I’m totally fine with it. This is a band that deserves to be heard and more well known. (Not that they don’t already have a very respectable following…) At the time of this writing the band is on a US tour with Protest The Hero. Get out there and lay eyes and ears on them if you can!
Grimothy – 9 out of 10. Super solid riffage, songcraft and hooky melodies. (And a killer lead to boot!)
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