_ _______ _ ...:... _ _______ _
___ / .:::::::::::. \ ___
| / .. (:::::::::::::) .. \ |
| . .:::::.`:::::::::::'.:::::. . |
| .::.. `:::.::':::`::.:::' ..::. |
_ _______ | .::' ::::':::::`:::: `::. | _______ _
\\ | | :: `' ::':`:: `' :: | | //
\ | | `:. .::' . `::. .:' | | /
. | | .::::::..::::' ... `::::..::::::. | | .
| | `:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::' | |
.... | | `:' `::::: :: :: :::::' `:' | | ....
| ' | : `. ': :: :: :: :: :` .' : | ` |
|.....: . .......: :: :: :: :: : ...... . : ....|
. ...................: : :: :: :: :: : : ................. .
_____________:_____________ _____________:_____________
_ ___\` __ /_\` _______/_\` __ _/_\` /___ _
// __ / (/ ___/ (/ _ (/ /_______/\
_ _ /_________ ___________ ______/\ _ ______________/\__/_ _
\\\\\_________\__/\_________\__/\_____/\_____/\____________/ ///
- -\-\-----------\__/----------\__/-------\_____/---------------/-/- -
- -------------------: : :. ..:: :: . :------------------ -
: : :......: :: :` ': :: : .....: : :
___ _ | | : ` ' : | | _ ___
_\---------- : | -------- : B E R C : -------- | : ----------/_
/_\ . : . ..:.. ..:.. . : . /_\
/// . . : : . . \\\
/: :\
/:: Artist :: Job for a Cowboy ::\
:: Album :: Moon Healer ::
:: Year :: 2024 ::
:: __ _ _ __ ::
-:--\\-----------------------------------------------------------------//--:-
:: \ / ::
:: . Genre :: Death Metal Source :: CD . ::
:: Label :: Valhall Music R.date :: 2024-04-02 ::
_::__ Cat.nr. :: VLH068 S.date :: 2024-02-23 __::_
::// \\::
::/---------------------------------------------------------------------\::
:: ::
/: Encoder :: LAME 3.100 -V0 :\
..: Bitrate :: avg. 280kbps :..
. Quality :: 44.1 kHz/Joint Stereo .
. Size :: 82.39 MB .
. .
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ tracklist /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: 1. Beyond the Chemical Doorway 4:10 ::
:: 2. Etched in Oblivion 4:14 ::
:: 3. Grinding Wheels of Ophanim 5:52 ::
:: 4. The Sun Gave Me Ashes So I Sought Out the Moon 4:04 ::
:: 5. Into the Crystalline Crypts 4:21 ::
:: 6. A Sorrow-Filled Moon 5:37 ::
:: 7. The Agony Seeping Storm 4:11 ::
:: 8. The Forever Rot 6:40 ::
:: ::
:: ::
:: ------- ::
.. >> 39:09 ..
__ __ _ . : _ ____ _ _ ____ _ : . _ __ __
.\\\\------- : | ---\ /---------------------\ /--- | : -------////.
+/ -\------- | | ----\ release notes /---- | | -------/- \+
/: . : : . :\
/:: ::\
:: ::
:: Throughout its 40 years of existence, death metal has grown ::
:: towards numerous intricate directions, often significantly ::
:: departing from the straightforward, 'meat and potatoes' ::
:: approach of its early days. At the change of the millenium ::
:: emerged a wave of younger bands who had more to say than simply ::
:: how to gut your neighbor, and it has been polarizing fans ever ::
:: since. I happen to have my feet on both camps, as I appreciate ::
:: the old school and the modern alike when the music speaks for ::
:: itself. At the same time, I can t help but recognize how a name ::
:: like Job for a Cowboy has been right at the eye of the storm ::
:: when it comes to the scene s dualistic thinking. ::
:: ::
:: The band acquired most of its fame at the rise of the deathcore ::
:: scene with a few pivotal releases in the mid 00's, but the ::
:: early days of chugging are long gone. In almost completely new ::
:: skin, their sound underwent a complete overhaul when ::
:: Demonocracy came out in 2012, a course that was maintained and ::
:: seriously reinforced with 2014's Sun Eater, which by now is a ::
:: point of reference for modern death metal. Job for A Cowboy s ::
:: technical prowess and bold mindset allowed for an evolution ::
:: that introduced unconventional play style, expressed through ::
:: fresh progressive elements, perplexed rhythm sections and ::
:: overall blistering aggression, which made them stand out in ::
:: prominence. Even if a decade separates them, the new album Moon ::
:: Healer goes hand in hand with its forebear, if not surpassing ::
:: it in terms of substance and delivery. ::
:: ::
:: Crispy clear production sets the stage for the dynamic ::
:: compositional groundwork of the album, which bursts out and ::
:: constantly torpedoes complex guitar lines in multiple time ::
:: signatures, keeping the listener on their toes for as long as ::
:: it lasts. Although clearly unpredictable, because trust that ::
:: you won t be able to foretell what comes next at any given ::
:: moment, Moon Healer somehow still feels the opposite of ::
:: chaotic. Different sections have been splendidly structured to ::
:: provide seamless transitions and such a logically continuous ::
:: experience that will not let you clearly realize at first, how ::
:: often the tracks take different turns and change their pace. ::
:: Every involved musician is at the absolute top of their game, ::
:: and the album s sound provides ample space for all the ::
:: instruments, including the (often squashed in other records) ::
:: marvelous bass work by Nick Schendzielos (Cephalic Carnage, ::
:: Havok). ::
:: ::
:: Stellar is also the performance of the new session drummer ::
:: Navene Koperweis (Entheos), whose playing is elegant as it is ::
:: astounding, e.g in the musical masterwork The Sun Gave Me ::
:: Ashes So I Sought Out the Moon . Jonny Davy s vocal palette is ::
:: unique, wide and varied, distinctly characterizing Job for A ::
:: Cowboy s sound with his excellent execution, you ll be happy to ::
:: follow along the lyrics quite easily compared to your average ::
:: extreme metal vocalist. In terms of sound treatment and cover ::
:: art, Moon Healer is successfully close to Sun Eater, which sets ::
:: solid foundation for the fans to receive this new work. On top ::
:: of that, the band's merit and consistency, the musicianship and ::
:: the never ending stream of intriguing, multilayered textures of ::
:: tech / prog death metal, always from their own perspective, is ::
:: captivating and awe-inspiring to say the least. ::
:: ::
:: I didn't hear a single solo that wasn t extraordinary in the ::
:: record, and there isn't one dull guitar riff in general either. ::
:: The band is as menacing and as ambitious as ever, showcasing ::
:: flexibility and compositional comprehension that few others can ::
:: conceive in their lifetime. Personal highlights include the ::
:: labyrinthine sections of "Grinding Wheels of Orphanim" and "A ::
:: Sorrow Filled Moon", the stunning opener "Beyond the Chemical ::
:: Doorway", and "The Agony Seeping Storm", which nicely nods ::
:: towards The Black Dahlia Murder. However, there is so much to ::
:: unpack in Moon Healer that every time you listen to it, ::
:: different moments stand out. Labels are futile when such levels ::
:: of innovation shine through an album, and this may well be the ::
:: year of Job for a Cowboy, who have apparently been preparing ::
:: their next chapter for a long time and with painstaking ::
:: attention. This record is a magnum opus for the band, and ::
:: modern death metal as a whole. ::
:: ::
:: . _ _ . ::
\: :. \\ ___________ . ___________ // .: :/
__\____ :: ____ ___\ _ / BERC : 2024 \ _ /___ ____ :: ____/__
\\\f3! :: \\\ __ _/_________i_________\ /___/ /// :: cRO///
\ :: :\-\___________\_ ___ / _ _/___________/-/: :: /
:: | . . _ _ _/ __/ . \_ _ _ . . | ::
: :::::::: | | \\\\\/ _______\____|\ \///// | | :::::::: :
:: | | -\-\/____/-------------\____\/-/- | | ::
:: | | \ :|: / | | ::
: : | . ` ::: ' . | : :
. . | : ::: : | . .
| :::....:::....::: |
: ::::::::::::::::: :
. :::''``:::''``::: .
: ::: :
. ::: .
.:.
: