Moon Coven – Sun King

Release date: 25/08/2023   
Label: Ripple Music

Last year the Swedish Moon Coven presented their album “Sun King”, which is their second release on their label Ripple Music. Before this they independently released various works. This time around they took the recording process into their own hands which gave them the opportunity to roam free and bring in some more of their different influences.

When you have never listened to Moon Coven and you put their record on for the first time you probably will think of Black Sabbath if you are all in for comparisons. At least my mind took me there, but they definitely have their own sound. It took me there mostly vocal wise, because soon you will notice that their sound is crammed full of nice fuzzy bass, punchy melodies and some gloomier doom riffs. 

On this nine track album Moon Coven explores the boundaries of psychedelic rock, stoner doom, bluesy-ness and psychedelic rock. It takes you on an atmospheric journey throughout the album as they never seem to be stuck at a certain sound. There are some good riff-driven twists whether it is the guitar that takes a moment to shine or the low end fuzzy bass that steps forward. It keeps this album interesting spin after spin, to hear the various layers. As an example the last track “Guilded Apple” gives you are more moody approach where as “Sun King” is more the bombastic and bluesy one.

The guitar bridge on “Below the Black Grow” reminds me a bit of a paganish hold your beer high and shout moment woven into the fuzzyness of the rest of the song. And there might also be a tiny flirt with this on Gilded Apple. Might be me though but I quite like it as it is a bit unexpected. But it shows their ability to explore different soundscapes.  

Album favorites are “The Yawning Wild’, instrumental “Death Shine Light on Life” and “Sun King”. 

This is an album you should listen to if you love some good deep bass grooves, nice drum rhythms, interesting vocal lines and fuzzy riffs. But behold because there is some cathyness in all the fuzz, some bluesy sounds and definitely some groove that might turn into a bit of a dark and brooding soundscape.  

LINE-UP:
Axel Ganhammar – Guitar
David Regn Leban – Guitar and vocals
Fredrik Dahlqvist – Drums
Pontus Ekberg – Bass

TRACKLISTING:

01 Wicked Words In Gold They Wrote
02 Seeing Stone
03 Sun King
04 Behold The Serpent
05 Below The Black Grow
06 Guilded Apple
07 The Yawning Wild
08 Death Shine Light On Life
09 The Lost Color