Moose Cult - Book of the Machines

Angry Metal Guy

UK progressive heavy/doom metal troupe Moose Cult should sound familiar to fans of the blog. Featuring members of Bull Elephant, Conglaciation, Monsterworks, The Anchoret, and Thūn, Moose Cult constitute a new installment in the Eat Lead and Die canon of artists that we’ve covered over the last decade. This project focuses on generalized environmental issues and human folly, justifying somewhat the band’s self-assigned moniker of “Envirometal.” While that does a poor job of illustrating what it is that Moose Cult plays beyond the scope of lyrical theme and content, sophomore record Book of the Machines won’t puzzle listeners nearly as much as the bespoke genre tag might.

Moose Cult’s closest living relative in the metalverse is very clearly Bull Elephant. Wild combinations of gritty heavy metal, aggressive doom, progressive metal and a touch of the extreme characterize Book of the Machines’ thirty-eight minutes. Gruff vocals reminiscent of Boss Keloid fused with Bütcher passionately deliver lyrics that tackle a wide array of uniquely human quandaries. Meanwhile, lurching guitars and pounding skins—along with an impressive variety of different blast beat variations—provide the muscle to move that kind of potentially weighty messaging. Moose Cult aren’t the first band to concern themselves with environmental matters, but their more vague, generalized approach to that theme differs greatly from the more story-driven, niche nature of Bull Elephant’s material. Whether that is a boon or a detractor is up for debate. However, I maintain that using a near-carbon copy of Bull Elephant’s blueprint to unleash a shotgun blast against human greed and mankind’s disregard for the environment, rather than crafting a more distinct sound to enact a focused attack on a specific environmental issue, works against Moose Cult’s favor.

Book of the Machines by Moose Cult

Book of the Machines’ greatest fumble extends beyond plagiarism of sister projects’ style and application. A more damning lack of memorable songwriting leaves me with little of consequence to hold on to after the record concludes. Enjoyable and entertaining in the moment, stronger cuts like “Erewhon,” “Curse of Creation,” “Earth(l)ing,” and “Book of the Machines” do offer small nuggets worth preserving. “Curse of Creation” in particular features a beautiful, psychedelic ambience in its midsection that immerses me in vivid, kaleidoscopic light, only to bring me crashing back down to a ruined Earth a minute later. Highly effective puts it mildly. However, these moments aren’t strong enough to carry any song on its own, let alone an entire album filled with solid lyrical ideas that never got the development they deserved. Across Book of the Machines’ runtime, passages shift and shimmy with an arbitrary sort of movement that jostles arrangements enough to destabilize them. Put another way, this record is not a smooth one, and consequently feels disjointed and unsteady.

Despite its awkward songwriting and flimsy messaging, Book of the Machines holds potential. Throat singing embellishments and fantastic soloing help elevate tracks like “Gateway to Evolving Thought” and “Headless Cult” almost enough to establish a trademark sound for the band. Closer “Book of the Machines” accomplishes a similar feat, albeit with a completely different approach that evokes a more extreme variant of Killing Joke. If Moose Cult buckles down and unifies these more differentiated elements into a unique, but cohesive, palette that better stands on its own, all the better for future efforts. On the other hand, Moose Cult nailed the production with Book of the Machines. Rich, warm, textured, and dynamic, this record blooms with vibrant color and its varying instrumentation strikes an ideal clarity that deftly avoids an over-polished sheen.

Overall, I am disappointed with Moose Cult so far. I am a longtime fan of Bull Elephant and have heard good things about several of these artists’ other projects, but this record isn’t what it could’ve been. Between the sparse substance behind its theme and the plagiaristic nature of its musical content, Book of the Machines offers a substandard proof of concept that makes it difficult to buy in. Without focusing its message and finding a unique—or at least more creative—voice with which to express it, this record fails to make an impact. Therefore, I recommend passing on it, hanging tight, and waiting to hear where Moose Cult go from here.

Rating: Disappointing.
DR: 11 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Eat Lead and Die Music
Website: moosecult.bandcamp.com
Releases Worldwide: September 6th, 2024

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