Moksha
The Last of Lucy
From their Bandcamp page, "THE LAST OF LUCY have shed the skin of their previous releases to reveal a far more dangerous and lethal creature underneath. It represents the core of their sound, without any frills or slow passages, for on "Moksha" they've taken on ferocious avatar to decimate from start to finish. It's not a complete departure from their sound; they've only overhauled it, doing away with the unnecessary parts and bringing in ones that highly optimize their performance." The album contains ten tracks.
The title track leads off the album. Beginning with bloodcurdling screams and ultra-fast drumming, the guitars explore a little. But that technical sound is very evident, and melody is an afterthought. "Agni" is next, and the rough and tumble sound continues along with some guitar pyrotechnics, including pig squeals and lightning-fast runs up and down the fretboard. "Aforethought" brings more speed-of-light tightness to the table with some harsher and slower breakdowns that that band dances in and out of with all the fury of a ballet dancer gone mad.
"Ego Death" is perhaps even faster if that is even possible. The intensity of the song is akin to lighting a match and throwing into a pool of gasoline with fireworks buried inside to boot. "Ritual of the Abraxas" has a brief ambient opening before the instruments and vocals pour in like an unannounced neighbor on a bender at 2 o'clock in the morning. The screams and guitar leads are equally matched in their volume. "Parasomnia" is a sleep disorder that involves unusual and undesirable physical events or experiences that disrupt your sleep. Picture the band standing over you when you have fallen into a deep sleep and just plugging in and going for broke.
"Temple of Rati" is so damn fast that it tears through you like a hot knife, slicing flesh from bone with all the skills of a tenured surgeon. "Ganga's Cenote" teases you as it opens, but the chaos ensues pretty quickly thereafter. The drums sound like machine gun fire and are so speedy they almost seem fake, but that is the skill of a Tech Death drummer in full glory. "Covenant" is another burner that doesn't stop from start to finish, plowing through all barriers like a runaway train just obliterating anything in its path. "The Demiurge" closes the album. Between the chaos, a short and heavy breakdown of a slower sequence comes in, but again, it is short lived.
As is common in the genre, the band squeezes in as much music as possible into the short and intense compositions. Melody can sometimes come into the equation as well, but not here. It's ten ferocious tracks that pummel the listeners into submission without barely lifting a finger. The tracks are so damn tight that you could not get a dime in between any notes. The musicianship is fantastic, but the laser focus on "doing away with unnecessary parts" leaves little room for much else.
8 / 10
Excellent
Songwriting
Musicianship
Memorability
Production
"Moksha" Track-listing:
1. Moksha
2. Agni
3. Aforethought
4. Ego Death
5. Ritual of the Abraxas
6. Parasomnia
7. Temple of Rati
8. Ganga's Cenote
9. Covenant
10. The Demiurge
The Last of Lucy Lineup:
Josh De La Sol - Vocals
Brandon Ian Millan - Drums
Gad Gidon - Lead Guitar & Bass
Christian Mansfield - Rhythm Guitar
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