Get ready for a droning, low-tuned quintet that’s breaking barriers in the underground scene. Hailing from the Netherlands, MOULD fuses sonic doom à la Windhand with epic sludge reminiscent of YOB, Neurosis, and Thou. Picture a guitar-heavy symphony entwined with both male and female vocals, creating a unique sound that can only be described as delightful sludge – heavy and massive yet simultaneously vibrant and open. As we enjoyed them at Vestrock we asked if we could review their debut album (so indeed a excellent gig can trigger more exposure)!
Originally forged by guitarists Mark de Smit and Jeska Buhmann, MOULD evolved into a full-fledged live-performing band in 2021. After a series of mind-blowing performances, 2023 saw them honing their focus on crafting their debut album, “Pull & Repulsion“. Each composition is a journey through a landscape of oppressive beauty, leaving you captivated.
Meet the Maestros:
With “Pull & Repulsion”, MOULD delves into various perspectives of duality. This theme is not only evident in the music but also in the lyrics, artwork, and logo. The visible and invisible worlds are separated by a delicate veil, and as you blink, the truth transforms into a distorted reflection. Cold, eerie, and dark – yet with all our senses, we need these ripples on the water’s surface to comprehend the world around us.
MOULD’s debut album is a celebration and embrace of what attracts and repels us. Brace yourselves for an exploration of sonic landscapes that will redefine your understanding of slow heaviness. Get ready to be engulfed in the energy and music as MOULD eagerly shares their creation with fellow lovers of heavy sounds. Stay tuned for an album that transcends boundaries and invites you into a realm where the visible and invisible collide!
Dust & Venom is the opening track and starts like a typical Doom track: slow and with roaring guitars. The vocals sound like all merging together (Jeska’s and Koen’s). It’s a mesmerizing track! The best way to listen to it is with headphones on, without any distraction.
Face The North starts with some ticking sound, followed by roaring guitars. The vocals give the song a dark feeling as if we are thrown back in the series called Game Of Thrones and we all know: winter is coming … When the tempo goes up and Koen starts to scream it feels like it’s all happening right here and right now: Game of Thrones is here! I really love the vibe!
Age Of Obsidian starts slowly with a bluesy sound. This song reminds me a bit of Hole (sound but also Jeska’s vocals) except it’s on a doom metal melody. Towards the end the sound gets a bit sweeter.
To Control The Skye has a lot of mood swings. The song goes from hard to soft, back and forth. The roaring guitars appear and disappear, just as the vocals. This one must be their song with the most overall variation.
Forgotten Lands starts directly with Jeska’s voice and the music. This time the song sounds more like a slow rocker and not like Doom metal, and that’s it (even when Koen starts to scream). But after a while it becomes an epic doom track with all the typical doom ingredients. Towards the end Jeska’s vocals again turn into the Hole (Courtney Love) modus. It’s in the end the longest track on this album!
Verticality is a nice rocker where I hear a different tone in Jeska’s voice (cleaner and filled with a bit of fragility). The guitar play is excellent (I adore the lead guitar). The low dawn moments with just the bass and Jeska’s voice are also notified as being really great! I want more of this!
Abort is the final track and has a haunting lead guitar sound whilst the bass guitar is rambling. Jeska keeps the haunting sound high up with her vocals, whilst Koen seems to imitate the voice of a monster. It’s a bloody track, literally. I can see a flood of blood coming out of my boxes as if it’s all real. Towards the end the vocals sound more like a demonic cantus. What a blast, what an ending!
I loved them on stage, the place where they played was overpopulated by fans and with this album I can absolutely believe that they came especially to see them on stage during a bigger festival! Hence, this should get them to the bigger stage! It’s a great album and a magnificent debut! Cheers to them and maybe see you next time at Graspop or Alcatraz!
And for the Flemish people between us, here's the live report from tehir gig at Vestrock:
