Mothman, The Man - 1000 Eyes 
Release Date: 24th February 2023
I've been pondering about how to start this review but when you boil it down there is just one opening statement that suffices - this is a beast of an album. For the uninitiated, Mothman, The Man are a West Cornwall collective operating out the current musical hot-spot of Falmouth with a sound that they self-describe as psychedelic garage rock. Their debut album, '1000 Eyes', is a nine track collection that takes you on a journey so strap yourself in and let's take this trip together.
Opening track 'Tearless' is the sound of a group of serial killers jamming in a basement on their day off as the eerie, raw guitars shudder between the thumping drums and grinding bass until the dead-eyed vocals join in to give this beast a voice. 'Outside' has a slightly more punk energy with itchy, agitated guitars behaving like a bugged out loner trying to negotiate a Tuesday afternoon in Lidl with 'people' everywhere. 'Hugo' has a charming, smarming vibe that confirms a definite Queens of the Stone Age influence but with more English charm in the vein of a creepy butler in a black and white movie.
One thing Mothman, The Man do brilliantly is pick a hypnotic riff and then build a song around it by adding power, darkness and rhythm which is exactly how 'Cult of Bone' works as the grunge inspired bass is nudged along by the lolloping drums until a huge Black Sabbath breakdown takes over. I've noticed a trend recently for bands to use voice notes or answer machine messages on their songs as is the case with 'Tomb' but the ambient music gives this track a real pallet cleansing vibe which is actually well placed for once. The sinister and intense guitars are back on 'Topographical Face', however, and so is the power as you are met with a tsunami of guitars being surfed by Neptune on a surfboard made out of an old ocean liner.
The grumbling bass of 'Mockingbird' reminds of bands like Engine 88 or the Wrens but as the song explodes and expands with Middle-Eastern influences you can't help but be swept up in the beautiful and all-consuming chaos. Title track '1000 Eyes' is perhaps the most well rounded on the album with the mix of hypnotic guitars and percussion taking me right back to those early Incubus tracks which is great because this one lasts nearly seven minutes. Our journey comes to a tumultuous end on 'The Void' which is a real sludge fest before erupting in to a real tussle between guitars and drums. Mothman, The Man are not trying to fit in to a scene or create music that will shift units or find their way in to some Brit Award after party but they are trying to melt your face, expand your mind and make an unholy racket along the way. If you're down for that then now is the time to get involved because this is just their debut and my face is already starting to slip off my skull.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/mothmantheman
Live Dates:
23rd February - Fives Cyderhouse, Falmouth
26th February - Hope & Ruin, Brighton
4th March - Live @ the Mill, Towcester
8th March - Cornish Bank, Falmouth
9th March - Underground, Plymouth
10th March - Exchange, Bristol
15th March - Cavern, Exter
16th March - The Vault, Penzance