Monday 25 June 2018

MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH

BandMASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH
GenresPunk / Post-Punk / Sass-Rock / Hardcore / Screamo / Skramz / Noise / Ambient / Experimental
Related artistsDes Ark, Dance Danse El Capitan, Polyon, Pinkwash, Xanax, Hume, Antlers, Danke, The Guilt and Siblings.
CountryWashington, D.C. U.S.A.
Years Active2004-2006
Song: "One"
Album: "Finally"
Year: 2004
For fans ofDiva Plavalaguna, Snack Truck, Ultra Dolphins, Fear Before The March Of Flames, Short Hair, The Post Office Gals, The Flying Worker, Genghis Tron, An Albatross, Flashbulb Memory, The Avenging Disco Godfathers Of Soul, The Snacks, Siblings, XBXRX, The Catalyst, Meth And Goats, A/N/DRolo Tomassi and Campaign Committee aka PROPER SCREAMO.
Label(s): Self Released / Exotic Fever Records / Alone Records / The Perpetual Motion Machine / Electric Human Project / Pink Noise Records / Voyager Sound Research / Discern Direction Records / Goembessa
This post's artist is from the May 2018 Mix. This is track #7.
You can download: the June 2018 Mix#6 right here or get the new July 2018 Mix#7 here.

I was reminded to write a review for MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH after hanging out with my friends Miggy and Dov at their place in Vancouver, as they both love a good synthy screamo song and I decided to show them "One" by the band. If I must delve further into the sound I'd start by saying that this is what the Groovie Ghoulies might sound like if they listened to hardcore, screamo and experimental music. I managed to grab their cd when it was first released and followed the band up until (but not including) their final release.

In 2004 the band self released 'Finally' on cd and in 2006 it was re-released with newer recordings or something on vinyl and retitled 'Finale', but I just stick to the original. "One" is my fucking MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH anthem. Opening with dark and haunting synths, the ridiculous bass riff and palm muted guitars are led by the drums until 50 seconds when those screams cut through like a knife. Don't think there aren't dancey bits amidst the chaos, because likening this to An Albatross and Snack Truck isn't even close to being far fetched. "Two" has more eerie synths at the beginning and end but the track is generally a mixture of garage rock and screamo with puked vocals. The verses sound a lot like Transistor Transistor...so that's amazing. "Three" is a typical mindfuck for the EP and a great song, while "Four" is even better as it settles into a frantic, screamy, sassy hardcore groove right away and continues for over a minute before the song dips into its midsection, but it pulls up at about 2:10 before trailing off after three. The closer "Five" doesn't even make it to two minutes but is just as good as the first track and boasts some seriously sick screamo that makes connections to Genghis Tron and The Flying Worker

In 2005 they released a 'split 7" w/ Sing! Sing! Prison!' that houses "This Potion Knows No Other" (a mind fuck that is the most An Albatross of all their work) and "Acknowledge" (a disturbing electronic/noise track with simultaneous screaming and talking). In 2006 they were a part of the 'Polar split 7"' as well as 'The Catalyst split' LP. The former includes the demo version of "Seven" (the band's first foray big step into rock over screamo) and another tune titled "Silence" (a subdued opening with an instrumental midsection and pretty heavy close). The latter has five tracks that find a sassy balance between An Albatross, Ultra Dolphins and Fear Before. My favourite from their side is "Stuck in the Segue" (as it speeds through synths, feedback and dancey hardcore) but "Hotel Fever" and "The Trickery of Tom Saywer" are also worth noting.

In late 2006 the band released their final batch of new recordings. 'Outerspace' is much more rock oriented and gone are the screams, with the vocals taking a Fear Before sound in their post-screaming tone...although this was released before Fear Before The March Of Flames ever changed their name and recorded that last record. Anyhoos, "Idle Minds Speak In Binary" and "Fang", "Crimps and Ties"and "De-Viced" are more like weird rock, but "Seven" lays on more hardcore than anything else and it bridges the gap between old and new MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH. "Ous We Are" is much of the same, with a nutty scat ending and a scream or two, making it sound like an even weirder Ultra Dolphins. The standout song is "2:13 Am" as it is the only screamo song on here. Other tracks worth checking out are "Riddle Me 666", "Translucent Insides" and "Crime".

In 2007, and posthumously, the band released a digital collection of further b-sides and rarities called 'Beyond'. This, much like the 2005 cassette 'Funally' are mostly remixes and electronic songs that some might dig, but don't do much for me.

If you like this band I would highly recommend two active bands cut from the same cloth, Vancouver's Diva Plavalaguna and Boston's Campaign Committee

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DISCOGRAPHY

2004 - Finally cdEP (stream/donate/download here)

2005 - Sing! Sing! Prison! split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)
2005 - Funally cassetteLP (stream/donate/download here)

2006 - Polar split 7"EP (stream/donate/download here)
2006 - Two Thousand And 666 (split w/The Catalyst) cd/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)
2006 - Outerspace cd/12"LP (stream/donate/download here)
2006 - Finale cd/10"/12"EP (stream/donate/download here)

2007 - Beyond digital LP (stream/donate/download here)
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(2004) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "One" (from 'Finally')

(2004) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Five" (from 'Finally')

(2004) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Two" (from 'Finally')

(2005) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "This Potion Knows No Other" (from 'Sing! Sing! Prison!' split)

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Silence" (from 'Polar' split)

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Stuck in the Segue" (from 'Two Thousand And 666')

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "2:13 Am" (from 'Outerspace')

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Seven" (from 'Outerspace')

(2006) MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH - "Ous We Are" (from 'Outerspace')

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MASS MOVEMENT OF THE MOTH additional links
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