Swedish haze rockers Moon Coven released their third album, Slumber Wood, last month through Ripple Music. The band’s first offering in some five years, it’s a 42-minute nodder of righteous proportion and density, led off by “Further” (premiered here) as an entry point into the broadened melody and shoring-up of aesthetic that’s taken place since Moon Coven offered the well-received-and-would-seem-to-be-reissue-fodder self-titled sophomore LP (review here) in 2016. In eight tracks here, they elicit riffage both familiar and nuanced, finding bounce in “Ceremony” no less worthy of its title than was “Further” in its demonstration of their progress, but neither cut completely summarizes what Moon Coven are up to across the whole span, be it the more atmospheric unfurling of “Gibeki Tape/Potbelly Hill” or the humming-organ interlude “A Tower of Silence” that follows the garage-doomed “Eye of the Night” and leads into the longest track “Bahgsu Nag,” the band seeing their way into a dead-on psychedelic dreamspace of interspliced guitar and intermittent push.

This is the first installment of a resounding closing trilogy given due ceremony by “A Tower of Silence” situated at the start of side B, with each cut functioning not only to bring something of its own to the proceedings — while emphasizing as well how much side A did the same — be it the tipping-balance-toward-ethereality of “Bahgsu Nag” or the manner in which echoing howls of the penultimate “Seagull” give way to mournful, downerist lumber at the finish, or how “My Melting Mind” doesn’t so much return to ground as plunder deeper (“further?”) into it initially while still leaving room in the second half to ring out a more drifting solo, never quite leaving the heft behind, but spreading outward from it ahead of the last chorus, which likewise highlights the subtlety of vocal layering that’s both been a melodic foundation and is surely to be a point of continued development for the band. Taken in its entirety, Slumber Wood offers breadth and depth of mix and a cohesive sound that’s unafraid to put its own stamp on what would otherwise be the hallmarks of genre. You can take it as hypnotic if you want, but it only justifies conscious attention when it’s given.

That said, the video below for “Further” is trippy as hell, so there you have it. If you want to think of it as a sampling of tone and general craft before you dive deeper into the record itself, go ahead. Whatever gets you there is only doing you a favor.

Have at it:

Moon Coven, “Further” official video

Up and coming Swedish psychedelic doom band MOON COVEN take you deeper into their dream realm, with their brand new “Further” video. Their third full-length ‘Slumber Wood’ is available right now on Ripple Music.

Bathed in a sublime pink aura, “Further” unfurls this dark, forlorn number with soaring vocals and deadly downtuned leads, as acid bubbles blossom around dreams of solitary walks through the cold, lonely woods. This new video is a perfect example of the occult energies MOON COVEN are able to deploy to mesmerize their audiences.

Moon Coven, Slumber Wood (2021)

Moon Coven on Facebook

Moon Coven on Bandcamp

Ripple Music on Facebook

Ripple Music on Instagram

Ripple Music on Bandcamp

Ripple Music website

Swedish psych-doom riffers Moon Coven have signed to Ripple Music and will release their third album and label debut, Slumber Wood, on May 7. You may recall the culty obscure radness that ensued on their 2016 self-titled (review here), and honestly, whether you do or not it’s up on Bandcamp and if you want a way to get stoked for the new record to come, listening to the band is probably the way to go.

Not much of an insight, I know, but to make up for that I’m pleased to be able to host the premiere of the first single post likely several slated from Slumber Wood. The track in question is called “Further,” and I can scarcely think of a better word to describe the way it builds on what Moon Coven were doing half a decade ago. In the underlying sharpness of the songwriting and the maintained atmospheric murk it’s inherited, “Further” indeed stands as ready evidence of sonic progression, and whether you’re familiar with the band or not, there’s nothing quite like having your interest piqued by new tunes. You know that or you likely wouldn’t be here.

I would love to go on about the album, but honestly, my plan was to listen today (Wednesday) and write about it in advance of this post as you see it now (on Thursday), but I’m in the hospital with my kid and his cracked skull. I beg your indulgence. I’ll have a review up sometime before the release — with a little under two months to go, that should just about be enough time — and until then, I put you in the capable hands of the PR wire.

Thank you:

Moon Coven are a Swedish stoner rock band whose deep understanding of the classics and their passion for fuzz make for a distinct and potent sound. Having formed out of the desire to get back to their musical roots, Moon Coven documents the musicians journeys both as individuals and as friends. The bands sound is a fusion of genre staples like Black Sabbath and Acid King with the progressive magic of Pink Floyd and the psychedelic influences of The Black Angels. They are currently gearing up to release their brand new album, “Slumber Wood” on Ripple Music in 2021.

Having opened for bands like Uncle Acid & The Deadbeats, Monolord, Blues Pills and Jex Thoth – Moon Coven knows what it means to share the stage with the best of the best. It was this same attitude that they brought on their three European tours as well as to festivals like Krokbacken, Children of the Sun fest or the legendary Red Smoke Festival in Poland! As work wraps up on their third album, it seems like at long last the early promise of these Swedish riff masters is becoming fulfilled and pointing towards bold new futures.

The band have already looked beyond 2021’s “Slumber Wood” though. They are deep in the process of writing a fourth album. This period of intense creativity for Moon Coven belies their goal of continuing to create heavy music together for years to come. As for now though – fans have a veritable storm of fuzzy riffs descending upon their eardrums in just a few months time. “Slumber Wood” will be Moon Coven’s first new album in five years and they promise that it will have been worth the wait. The journey back to their roots is nearly complete!

https://www.facebook.com/mooncoven
https://mooncoven.bandcamp.com/
https://www.facebook.com/theripplemusic/
https://www.instagram.com/ripplemusic/
https://ripplemusic.bandcamp.com/
http://www.ripple-music.com/