### Moonshine: Moonshine

#### 25/04/08 || Kampfar

Moonshine in liquid form is the whole fucking ABC, and then some, of how to become an utter retard really, really fast; if you copy the approach of many Norwegians, that is, namely drinking it down faster than your own shadow, ending up as Unlucky Puke before the night has ended.

Fuck you all.

I know shit about any of the other bands named Moonshine, but I of course presume them to be a waste of time, energy and effort, in other words, the opposite of what Baltimore’s Moonshine is. It’s not like I’ve heard every stoner or sludge band out/down there, far from, but I’ve heard a lot, and this platter, self titled at it, was one of the major sparks needed for me to spend more and more time in the swamps, looking for monster riffs and general sickness. And some toads to lick.

My brilliant ears has found quite some excellent bands, but before I lose focus and start reviewing YOB instead, I’ll punch myself in the balls and straighten up.

Mis could never do that, but she sure can scream and growl with the best of them, male or female. To be honest, I’m not entirely sure about the growls, as I have found very little information about this lot, but the black metal-ish shrieks, the main vocal variant, and also the clean/spoken one, are definitively the work of this exceptional woman. And I would bet a load of cum, the first of the day even, that she does the growls, too.

I sort of love her.

And I would do so if it was a male responsible for the vocals, also, as this is simply a motherfuckingly awesome performance. This woman named Mis has an ear for every detail and a voice box to kill for, enhancing every turn and nook the music’s taking. I swear, at times she inflicts goose-bumps, and also chills down my utterly, utterly strong spine.

But this isn’t a cappella, fortunately, so I must also mention some of her comrades in battle.

Let me start, even though I have blown the attention span of most to hell already, by saying both Aro and Bob should pride themselves in the sheer number of quality riffs crammed into this debut/swansong. To win you over in an instance, I would play to you “White smoker”, its main riff spurring an urge to plant my fist into the face of a fuck; simply brilliant and perhaps the strongest on the whole album, at least the catchiest, most accessible.

It’s a song that even haters of the genre very well might dig.

Them assholes aside, build ups – though not jams, at least not mindless ones, as made infamous by a bunch of hippie fucks now dead of A.I.D.S – are to be expected. Hell, I’d say the first song is just as much of a build up as it is a song, like the band is tuning into the awesomeness to come.

They disintegrate and integrate throughout the whole record, strong riffs leading to mellow passages – some slightly psycho, all thanks to Mis, of course. But unlike those bands ridden with the Ebola of stoner/sludge, namely fucking into jam nothingness for so long they can’t pick up the pieces, in other words, knowing fuckall and nada about the art of songwriting, this lot knows when to kick shit into gear.

Always.

On a bad day, too much coffee and too little food, something like that, I would score this album lower, and that because I wouldn’t be able to find the calm necessary for it. Then again, when in the mood, it certainly sounds rather perfect.

8,5 out of 10.

- Information
- Released: 2005
- Label: Torture Garden Picture Company
- Website: Moonshine MySpace
- Band
- Mis: vocals
- Bob: guitar
- Aro: guitar
- Brendan: bass
- Matt: drums

- Tracklist
- 01. Baby elephant stomp
- 02. White smoker
- 03. Happy ending
- 04. Thrice
- 05. Dead ringer
- 06. While supplies last