#notmetal — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/uk/847300/ Moon Far Away – Acou Review #2026 #30 #Acou #DarkNeofolk #DeadCanDance #Entertainment #Mar26 #MoonFarAway #music #Nebelhexe #NotMetal #ProphecyProductions #Review #Reviews #RussianMetal #Tenhi #UK #UnitedKingdom

As a fledgling metalhead in the 90s and early 2000s, I spent many a day scouring my local record shop for new, interesting bands and artists due to magazine interviews, reviews, and the occasional word-of-mouth treatment from friends and artists alike. This adventurous time period was responsible for my dalliances and appreciation of the world of neofolk. Between the somber atmospheres of Tenhi and the thriving, teeming music of the late Nebelhexë, it opened up new avenues to explore and bands to check out. With this in mind, I decided to tackle Acou, the fifth album from Russian quartet Moon Far Away, only to realize that they’ve been around since 1994 and this is the first time hearing about (or anything from) them.

Well, at least I got to finally experience their music, as Acou is a fairly enjoyable album with some interesting angles. After a brief interlude, featuring a lone trumpet and some ambient chantings and melodies, the title track kicks off in earnest, showcasing just why Moon Far Away have earned the reputation as “The Russian Dead Can Dance” as the vocal harmonies of multi-instrumentalist Count Ash and his counterpart (and song lead) Leda intertwine during the chorus over a playful bassline from Zhigich and some driving percussion by Victorion, creating a rapturous atmosphere that also plays homage to their Russian roots. Elsewhere, “Steel Light Love” shows off their more Gothic leanings, with Count Ash taking the lead with Leda softly wailing in the background throughout the song’s majority. On these three songs, the band’s artistic strengths shine brilliantly, giving off the impression that this is a neofolk classic for the ages.

Acou by Moon far away

The problem is that there are other songs on here, and some of them pull the proceedings down quite a bit. “17 Years” features an older vocalist1 chant-singing partially off-key for over three minutes. Speaking of off-key, Count Ash’s voice on “Look, the Human Flocks…” keeps to a monotone, often at odds with Leda’s angelic vocals, and the song ends without building up to anything. But the biggest issue lies with “Soulofkey,” which starts off promisingly enough, with a haunting piano melody that burrows into your skull. Still, it keeps burrowing, because other than a few key changes, it just keeps going and going and going for the entirety of the song’s seven-minute runtime, losing all potency and interest.

At least Acou sounds great from a production standpoint. Zhigich’s bass is thick and meaty, and Victorion’s percussion hits with the impact his performances need. Even the traditional instruments, such as the flute and trumpet, all ring with a stark clarity that’s sometimes missing from neofolk music. I just wish the arrangements and performances were a bit tighter overall, because when Acou shines, it’s with a brilliance that few can match, and that’s no mean feat.

And that kills me, as I wanted to like Acou more than I do. When everyone’s on top of their game, Acou is a compelling album that’s teeming with life and vibrancy. But the hiccups on some of the tracks keep my enjoyment tempered, and that’s a shame because Moon Far Away impressed me on their best tracks, and they are giving me a new band to check out in the future. That said, there’s still plenty to like on here, and if you enjoy any of the bands I mentioned above, you could do much worse than what’s on offer here.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Release Dates: EU: 2026.03.13 | NA: 03.27.2026

As a fledgling metalhead in the 90s and early 2000s, I spent many a day scouring my local record shop for new, interesting bands and artists due to magazine interviews, reviews, and the occasional word-of-mouth treatment from friends and artists alike. This adventurous time period was responsible for my dalliances and appreciation of the world of neofolk. Between the somber atmospheres of Tenhi and the thriving, teeming music of the late Nebelhexë, it opened up new avenues to explore and bands to check out. With this in mind, I decided to tackle Acou, the fifth album from Russian quartet Moon Far Away, only to realize that they’ve been around since 1994 and this is the first time hearing about (or anything from) them.

Well, at least I got to finally experience their music, as Acou is a fairly enjoyable album with some interesting angles. After a brief interlude, featuring a lone trumpet and some ambient chantings and melodies, the title track kicks off in earnest, showcasing just why Moon Far Away have earned the reputation as “The Russian Dead Can Dance” as the vocal harmonies of multi-instrumentalist Count Ash and his counterpart (and song lead) Leda intertwine during the chorus over a playful bassline from Zhigich and some driving percussion by Victorion, creating a rapturous atmosphere that also plays homage to their Russian roots. Elsewhere, “Steel Light Love” shows off their more Gothic leanings, with Count Ash taking the lead with Leda softly wailing in the background throughout the song’s majority. On these three songs, the band’s artistic strengths shine brilliantly, giving off the impression that this is a neofolk classic for the ages.

Acou by Moon far away

The problem is that there are other songs on here, and some of them pull the proceedings down quite a bit. “17 Years” features an older vocalist1 chant-singing partially off-key for over three minutes. Speaking of off-key, Count Ash’s voice on “Look, the Human Flocks…” keeps to a monotone, often at odds with Leda’s angelic vocals, and the song ends without building up to anything. But the biggest issue lies with “Soulofkey,” which starts off promisingly enough, with a haunting piano melody that burrows into your skull. Still, it keeps burrowing, because other than a few key changes, it just keeps going and going and going for the entirety of the song’s seven-minute runtime, losing all potency and interest.

At least Acou sounds great from a production standpoint. Zhigich’s bass is thick and meaty, and Victorion’s percussion hits with the impact his performances need. Even the traditional instruments, such as the flute and trumpet, all ring with a stark clarity that’s sometimes missing from neofolk music. I just wish the arrangements and performances were a bit tighter overall, because when Acou shines, it’s with a brilliance that few can match, and that’s no mean feat.

And that kills me, as I wanted to like Acou more than I do. When everyone’s on top of their game, Acou is a compelling album that’s teeming with life and vibrancy. But the hiccups on some of the tracks keep my enjoyment tempered, and that’s a shame because Moon Far Away impressed me on their best tracks, and they are giving me a new band to check out in the future. That said, there’s still plenty to like on here, and if you enjoy any of the bands I mentioned above, you could do much worse than what’s on offer here.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Release Dates: EU: 2026.03.13 | NA: 03.27.2026

As a fledgling metalhead in the 90s and early 2000s, I spent many a day scouring my local record shop for new, interesting bands and artists due to magazine interviews, reviews, and the occasional word-of-mouth treatment from friends and artists alike. This adventurous time period was responsible for my dalliances and appreciation of the world of neofolk. Between the somber atmospheres of Tenhi and the thriving, teeming music of the late Nebelhexë, it opened up new avenues to explore and bands to check out. With this in mind, I decided to tackle Acou, the fifth album from Russian quartet Moon Far Away, only to realize that they’ve been around since 1994 and this is the first time hearing about (or anything from) them.

Well, at least I got to finally experience their music, as Acou is a fairly enjoyable album with some interesting angles. After a brief interlude, featuring a lone trumpet and some ambient chantings and melodies, the title track kicks off in earnest, showcasing just why Moon Far Away have earned the reputation as “The Russian Dead Can Dance” as the vocal harmonies of multi-instrumentalist Count Ash and his counterpart (and song lead) Leda intertwine during the chorus over a playful bassline from Zhigich and some driving percussion by Victorion, creating a rapturous atmosphere that also plays homage to their Russian roots. Elsewhere, “Steel Light Love” shows off their more Gothic leanings, with Count Ash taking the lead with Leda softly wailing in the background throughout the song’s majority. On these three songs, the band’s artistic strengths shine brilliantly, giving off the impression that this is a neofolk classic for the ages.

Acou by Moon far away

The problem is that there are other songs on here, and some of them pull the proceedings down quite a bit. “17 Years” features an older vocalist1 chant-singing partially off-key for over three minutes. Speaking of off-key, Count Ash’s voice on “Look, the Human Flocks…” keeps to a monotone, often at odds with Leda’s angelic vocals, and the song ends without building up to anything. But the biggest issue lies with “Soulofkey,” which starts off promisingly enough, with a haunting piano melody that burrows into your skull. Still, it keeps burrowing, because other than a few key changes, it just keeps going and going and going for the entirety of the song’s seven-minute runtime, losing all potency and interest.

At least Acou sounds great from a production standpoint. Zhigich’s bass is thick and meaty, and Victorion’s percussion hits with the impact his performances need. Even the traditional instruments, such as the flute and trumpet, all ring with a stark clarity that’s sometimes missing from neofolk music. I just wish the arrangements and performances were a bit tighter overall, because when Acou shines, it’s with a brilliance that few can match, and that’s no mean feat.

And that kills me, as I wanted to like Acou more than I do. When everyone’s on top of their game, Acou is a compelling album that’s teeming with life and vibrancy. But the hiccups on some of the tracks keep my enjoyment tempered, and that’s a shame because Moon Far Away impressed me on their best tracks, and they are giving me a new band to check out in the future. That said, there’s still plenty to like on here, and if you enjoy any of the bands I mentioned above, you could do much worse than what’s on offer here.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Release Dates: EU: 2026.03.13 | NA: 03.27.2026

As a fledgling metalhead in the 90s and early 2000s, I spent many a day scouring my local record shop for new, interesting bands and artists due to magazine interviews, reviews, and the occasional word-of-mouth treatment from friends and artists alike. This adventurous time period was responsible for my dalliances and appreciation of the world of neofolk. Between the somber atmospheres of Tenhi and the thriving, teeming music of the late Nebelhexë, it opened up new avenues to explore and bands to check out. With this in mind, I decided to tackle Acou, the fifth album from Russian quartet Moon Far Away, only to realize that they’ve been around since 1994 and this is the first time hearing about (or anything from) them.

Well, at least I got to finally experience their music, as Acou is a fairly enjoyable album with some interesting angles. After a brief interlude, featuring a lone trumpet and some ambient chantings and melodies, the title track kicks off in earnest, showcasing just why Moon Far Away have earned the reputation as “The Russian Dead Can Dance” as the vocal harmonies of multi-instrumentalist Count Ash and his counterpart (and song lead) Leda intertwine during the chorus over a playful bassline from Zhigich and some driving percussion by Victorion, creating a rapturous atmosphere that also plays homage to their Russian roots. Elsewhere, “Steel Light Love” shows off their more Gothic leanings, with Count Ash taking the lead with Leda softly wailing in the background throughout the song’s majority. On these three songs, the band’s artistic strengths shine brilliantly, giving off the impression that this is a neofolk classic for the ages.

Acou by Moon far away

The problem is that there are other songs on here, and some of them pull the proceedings down quite a bit. “17 Years” features an older vocalist1 chant-singing partially off-key for over three minutes. Speaking of off-key, Count Ash’s voice on “Look, the Human Flocks…” keeps to a monotone, often at odds with Leda’s angelic vocals, and the song ends without building up to anything. But the biggest issue lies with “Soulofkey,” which starts off promisingly enough, with a haunting piano melody that burrows into your skull. Still, it keeps burrowing, because other than a few key changes, it just keeps going and going and going for the entirety of the song’s seven-minute runtime, losing all potency and interest.

At least Acou sounds great from a production standpoint. Zhigich’s bass is thick and meaty, and Victorion’s percussion hits with the impact his performances need. Even the traditional instruments, such as the flute and trumpet, all ring with a stark clarity that’s sometimes missing from neofolk music. I just wish the arrangements and performances were a bit tighter overall, because when Acou shines, it’s with a brilliance that few can match, and that’s no mean feat.

And that kills me, as I wanted to like Acou more than I do. When everyone’s on top of their game, Acou is a compelling album that’s teeming with life and vibrancy. But the hiccups on some of the tracks keep my enjoyment tempered, and that’s a shame because Moon Far Away impressed me on their best tracks, and they are giving me a new band to check out in the future. That said, there’s still plenty to like on here, and if you enjoy any of the bands I mentioned above, you could do much worse than what’s on offer here.

Rating: 3.0/5.0
DR: 8 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Prophecy Productions
Websites: Bandcamp | Facebook
Release Dates: EU: 2026.03.13 | NA: 03.27.2026

40 Watt Sun – Little Weight Review

By GardensTale

“If [Warning’s Watching from a Distance] was the act of capturing a funeral march, and The Inside Room was the first few hours of sadness that lingers after the wake wraps up, then Wider is the first year of longing and sadness that follows.” This is how Grymm characterized the trajectory of Patrick Walker’s projects in his review of 40 Watt Sun’s sophomore album. The metaphor has stuck with me ever since, as great metaphors tend to do. 2022’s Perfect Light, then, slotted in beautifully as the first hope that the grief may pass, a first feeble ray of sunlight through a blanket of grey clouds. It appears Mr. Walker’s mental state has been improving, but how does that affect his music?

Little Weight continues the progression toward the light in true 40 Watt Sun fashion, with slow and thoughtful deliberation rendered in a blend of shoegaze and doom that has been stripped of almost all distortion. But after a career built on music about grief, pain and loss, this album is at last fully about love, gratitude and healing. Instead of a feeble ray, now the sunlight pours in through the open window, mites of dust twinkling in the beams on a blissful autumn afternoon. ‘Who am I to feel so strong?’ Walker croons across the opening chords of “Closer to Life.” Opener “Pour Your Love” revels in a newfound sense of affection, as does the tender “Feather” with its repeated stanza ‘If I could reach these arms, winding out forever, I will.’ Walker’s voice remains a study in the dissemination of emotion, not beautiful from a technical standpoint but wrought with such heartfelt honesty I buy his every word and every feeling completely and utterly.

The shift in lyrical tone is accompanied by an appropriate shift in the music. 40 Watt Sun always played with empty space and silence as a means to deepen the sense of loss and absence befitting its themes. Little Weight is richer, warmer, and textured more thickly with stacked layers of guitars forming a gently lapping ocean surf of melancholic comfort. Though its pace remains patient and deliberate, the tracks are notably less protracted than before, moving away from the compositional emptiness expressed on the predecessors and toward a sort of relative conciseness.1 This conciseness makes Little Weight both the most diverse and accessible album in the band’s discography. Subtle backing vocals emphasize the love in the opener; a melancholic twang pervades “Astoria”; “Half a World Away” makes its mark through a beautiful, breathtaking piece of guitar. The individual identity of each track is much stronger than it’s ever been, and the album is all the better for it.

There are no particular weak points on Little Weight in my view; at least, not more than nitpicks. Though the back half of “The Undivided Truth” is undeniably gorgeous, it takes a minute or two too long to get there, and some tracks lack a proper ending (“Pour Your Love” drops this ball in particular). Most of all, though, 40 Watt Sun is simply a very niche band. It asks for patience, to buy into the slow minimalism, and with Walker’s voice such a prominent feature, a lot hinges on whether his tear-stricken performance connects with you or not. This vocal-centric approach is a feature, not a bug, as the thoughtful production frequently emphasizes, but the full textures and warm sound are mastered perfectly across the entire running time.

If 40 Watt Sun hooks you the way it hooked me back in 2016, though, Little Weight is an experience unlike any other. It’s not metal, and it does not have a very metal attitude with its melancholic sense of contentment, but it’s a new evolution of an incredibly idiosyncratic outfit that forges its own path with serenity and wonder grown from pain and loss. It gives me a sense of spiritual fulfillment few records have achieved, with each of the 6 tracks a new emotional highlight. Patrick Walker and his crew demonstrate that when grief and loss fall behind, love and beauty can still ache just the same.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Fisher’s Folly
Websites: 40wattsunmusic.bandcamp.com | 40wattsun.co.uk | facebook.com/40wattsun
Releases Worldwide: September 6th, 2024

#2024 #40 #40WattSun #BritishMetal #DoomMetal #FisherSFolly #LittleWeight #NotMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Shoegaze #Warning

40 Watt Sun – Little Weight Review

By GardensTale

“If [Warning’s Watching from a Distance] was the act of capturing a funeral march, and The Inside Room was the first few hours of sadness that lingers after the wake wraps up, then Wider is the first year of longing and sadness that follows.” This is how Grymm characterized the trajectory of Patrick Walker’s projects in his review of 40 Watt Sun’s sophomore album. The metaphor has stuck with me ever since, as great metaphors tend to do. 2022’s Perfect Light, then, slotted in beautifully as the first hope that the grief may pass, a first feeble ray of sunlight through a blanket of grey clouds. It appears Mr. Walker’s mental state has been improving, but how does that affect his music?

Little Weight continues the progression toward the light in true 40 Watt Sun fashion, with slow and thoughtful deliberation rendered in a blend of shoegaze and doom that has been stripped of almost all distortion. But after a career built on music about grief, pain and loss, this album is at last fully about love, gratitude and healing. Instead of a feeble ray, now the sunlight pours in through the open window, mites of dust twinkling in the beams on a blissful autumn afternoon. ‘Who am I to feel so strong?’ Walker croons across the opening chords of “Closer to Life.” Opener “Pour Your Love” revels in a newfound sense of affection, as does the tender “Feather” with its repeated stanza ‘If I could reach these arms, winding out forever, I will.’ Walker’s voice remains a study in the dissemination of emotion, not beautiful from a technical standpoint but wrought with such heartfelt honesty I buy his every word and every feeling completely and utterly.

The shift in lyrical tone is accompanied by an appropriate shift in the music. 40 Watt Sun always played with empty space and silence as a means to deepen the sense of loss and absence befitting its themes. Little Weight is richer, warmer, and textured more thickly with stacked layers of guitars forming a gently lapping ocean surf of melancholic comfort. Though its pace remains patient and deliberate, the tracks are notably less protracted than before, moving away from the compositional emptiness expressed on the predecessors and toward a sort of relative conciseness.1 This conciseness makes Little Weight both the most diverse and accessible album in the band’s discography. Subtle backing vocals emphasize the love in the opener; a melancholic twang pervades “Astoria”; “Half a World Away” makes its mark through a beautiful, breathtaking piece of guitar. The individual identity of each track is much stronger than it’s ever been, and the album is all the better for it.

There are no particular weak points on Little Weight in my view; at least, not more than nitpicks. Though the back half of “The Undivided Truth” is undeniably gorgeous, it takes a minute or two too long to get there, and some tracks lack a proper ending (“Pour Your Love” drops this ball in particular). Most of all, though, 40 Watt Sun is simply a very niche band. It asks for patience, to buy into the slow minimalism, and with Walker’s voice such a prominent feature, a lot hinges on whether his tear-stricken performance connects with you or not. This vocal-centric approach is a feature, not a bug, as the thoughtful production frequently emphasizes, but the full textures and warm sound are mastered perfectly across the entire running time.

If 40 Watt Sun hooks you the way it hooked me back in 2016, though, Little Weight is an experience unlike any other. It’s not metal, and it does not have a very metal attitude with its melancholic sense of contentment, but it’s a new evolution of an incredibly idiosyncratic outfit that forges its own path with serenity and wonder grown from pain and loss. It gives me a sense of spiritual fulfillment few records have achieved, with each of the 6 tracks a new emotional highlight. Patrick Walker and his crew demonstrate that when grief and loss fall behind, love and beauty can still ache just the same.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Fisher’s Folly
Websites: 40wattsunmusic.bandcamp.com | 40wattsun.co.uk | facebook.com/40wattsun
Releases Worldwide: September 6th, 2024

#2024 #40 #40WattSun #BritishMetal #DoomMetal #FisherSFolly #LittleWeight #NotMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Shoegaze #Warning

40 Watt Sun – Little Weight Review

By GardensTale

“If [Warning’s Watching from a Distance] was the act of capturing a funeral march, and The Inside Room was the first few hours of sadness that lingers after the wake wraps up, then Wider is the first year of longing and sadness that follows.” This is how Grymm characterized the trajectory of Patrick Walker’s projects in his review of 40 Watt Sun’s sophomore album. The metaphor has stuck with me ever since, as great metaphors tend to do. 2022’s Perfect Light, then, slotted in beautifully as the first hope that the grief may pass, a first feeble ray of sunlight through a blanket of grey clouds. It appears Mr. Walker’s mental state has been improving, but how does that affect his music?

Little Weight continues the progression toward the light in true 40 Watt Sun fashion, with slow and thoughtful deliberation rendered in a blend of shoegaze and doom that has been stripped of almost all distortion. But after a career built on music about grief, pain and loss, this album is at last fully about love, gratitude and healing. Instead of a feeble ray, now the sunlight pours in through the open window, mites of dust twinkling in the beams on a blissful autumn afternoon. ‘Who am I to feel so strong?’ Walker croons across the opening chords of “Closer to Life.” Opener “Pour Your Love” revels in a newfound sense of affection, as does the tender “Feather” with its repeated stanza ‘If I could reach these arms, winding out forever, I will.’ Walker’s voice remains a study in the dissemination of emotion, not beautiful from a technical standpoint but wrought with such heartfelt honesty I buy his every word and every feeling completely and utterly.

The shift in lyrical tone is accompanied by an appropriate shift in the music. 40 Watt Sun always played with empty space and silence as a means to deepen the sense of loss and absence befitting its themes. Little Weight is richer, warmer, and textured more thickly with stacked layers of guitars forming a gently lapping ocean surf of melancholic comfort. Though its pace remains patient and deliberate, the tracks are notably less protracted than before, moving away from the compositional emptiness expressed on the predecessors and toward a sort of relative conciseness.1 This conciseness makes Little Weight both the most diverse and accessible album in the band’s discography. Subtle backing vocals emphasize the love in the opener; a melancholic twang pervades “Astoria”; “Half a World Away” makes its mark through a beautiful, breathtaking piece of guitar. The individual identity of each track is much stronger than it’s ever been, and the album is all the better for it.

There are no particular weak points on Little Weight in my view; at least, not more than nitpicks. Though the back half of “The Undivided Truth” is undeniably gorgeous, it takes a minute or two too long to get there, and some tracks lack a proper ending (“Pour Your Love” drops this ball in particular). Most of all, though, 40 Watt Sun is simply a very niche band. It asks for patience, to buy into the slow minimalism, and with Walker’s voice such a prominent feature, a lot hinges on whether his tear-stricken performance connects with you or not. This vocal-centric approach is a feature, not a bug, as the thoughtful production frequently emphasizes, but the full textures and warm sound are mastered perfectly across the entire running time.

If 40 Watt Sun hooks you the way it hooked me back in 2016, though, Little Weight is an experience unlike any other. It’s not metal, and it does not have a very metal attitude with its melancholic sense of contentment, but it’s a new evolution of an incredibly idiosyncratic outfit that forges its own path with serenity and wonder grown from pain and loss. It gives me a sense of spiritual fulfillment few records have achieved, with each of the 6 tracks a new emotional highlight. Patrick Walker and his crew demonstrate that when grief and loss fall behind, love and beauty can still ache just the same.

Rating: 4.0/5.0
DR: 7 | Format Reviewed: 320 kb/s mp3
Label: Fisher’s Folly
Websites: 40wattsunmusic.bandcamp.com | 40wattsun.co.uk | facebook.com/40wattsun
Releases Worldwide: September 6th, 2024

#2024 #40 #40WattSun #BritishMetal #DoomMetal #FisherSFolly #LittleWeight #NotMetal #Review #Reviews #Sep24 #Shoegaze #Warning