I had no idea that alternative metal shoegaze existed. So when I had the chance to write about Love Lunacy’s (Sacramento, California) album “Fleeting Moments Faded By Memory” I went for it! Then I thought it would probably be responsible of me to do some homework, research etc, but straight away I said to myself “no, just listen to the damn album”! It’s great not having context sometimes and also great to discover musical styles you didn’t know existed.
So I press play, and I am welcomed by dreamy guitar strumming with nice ethereal reverbs, and then a blast beat comes in, and straight away I realise the connection here, the crossover elements and as soon as the whispery vocals come in I find myself wondering “are they going to growl, too”? And then they do! High-pitched black metal-style vocals with a lot of distortion, but while the blast beats and double bass patterns are raging, the dreaminess is still there. The perfect introduction to the album, presenting us with all the different sounds and elements we are about to experience while listening to “Fleeting Moments Faded By Memory”.
I could say cautiously that there are some references to “Loveless” by “My Bloody Valentine”, but then again that was 1991, and it could be very indirectly referenced at this point. Moments like the DnBlike part in “Digital Anesthesia” are clearly founded in emo music, way after the 90s but in general, and from a more modern metal perspective, I can hear Opeth here, sometimes Pain Of Salvation, but also bands like Gojira when the album is at its heaviest, but then again, depending on the artist’s age and/or influence it could be coming from djent.
The best example I can give of someone who successfully brings all the elements together (heaviness, wall of sound, atmosphere, acoustic parts) would be Devin Townsend, in Strapping Young Lad but even more so in his solo project. Personally, I absolutely love Devin, and I am saying this as a compliment.
In this album, everything is done well. The production rocks, the fluidity between super hardcore and brutal parts to acoustic dreaminess and shoegazey soundscapes is very balanced and comes very naturally (for example in “Recluse” where the artist is gracefully going through 4 or 5 different genres/styles in less than 2 minutes!), the vocals are versatile and diverse, and even the tracklisting is very efficient.
Now here is the catch! An album like this is not for the faint of heart. It demands your attention. Sure, you can listen to it while browsing on 667 tabs on your laptop, but you will miss out on a lot, so you better stop what you’re doing, if you can listen to this on speakers go for it, and let the sound fill the room. The payoff will be great!
Written by Spiros Maus
