Johnny Booth very quickly shaped up to be one of the most interesting heavy releases of the year after I caught the singles, and I was pretty excited to get into it when it finally released. Despite being a chaotic blend of hardcore and metalcore, there was something surprisingly enticing and catchy about their music, one that I was hoping to get more of.
Moments Elsewhere turns out to be as surprising as the singles. The blend of melodic metalcore elements and heavy hardcore elements continue to intrigue me, and the directions some of the songs go were really unexpected.
When it comes to heavy, they absolutely delivered. 2040 is a punch that never stops punching, short but relentless, Ring Light Altar is a rager that never stops with its flaming sardonicism, No Comply has some seriously sinister breakdowns and an unforgiving fury to it, and Modern Dialogue is a perfect sludgefest to close out the album. Their dynamicism in heavy territory is unmatched, able to build effective moments and remain interesting in a realm many others fail to.
What I didn't expect was such a strong presence of melodic elements in the album. Why Becomes How is a full song of cleans and a shoegaze-like soundscape reminiscent of Loathe, a standout in a very unexpected way. Beyond that, many other moments in the record boast a melodic flavour, like the intermission of Only By Name, the surreal chorus of The Ladder, the tastefully dissonant sing-scream chorus of Gatekeeper, and the unbelievably catchy chorus of Bright Future. For every memorable heavy moment, there's a melodic one to match.
Given where they stand of the heavy music spectrum, it's easy for bands where they are to get lost in the masses of other bands looking to sound the same, but Moments Elsewhere manages to stand out, no doubt due to a perfect combination of stellar writing, quality production work and unrivalled performance. I found myself coming back to it way more than I thought I would, putting the record on even when I couldn't put a finger on what exactly I wanted to hear.
Johnny Booth has definitely hit it out of the ballpark with this one. Despite not having heard them before, they sold it for me in a matter of months, earning my earnest interest in just one album cycle. Moments Elsewhere is definitely making it onto the year end lists, and one that will stay on rotation for time to come.
Rating: 10/10