“I remember the way you reflect off the moon.”
If one were to ask me how I’ve felt about metalcore recently, I’d have to say “jaded.” Long gone are the days where every Rise Records release would excite me and get me to love it with ease. Call it boredom, call it a change of taste (mostly this, I’d imagine), call it whatever you’d like. That isn’t to say that a good ol’ fashioned metalcore release can’t come my way and it feels like the very first time again. Johnny Booth’s upcoming record, Moments Elsewhere, certainly fits that bill.
Despite hailing from the Long Island/NY area, a big reason why Johnny Booth’s sound is so appealing to me is the Southern tinged influence – something along the lines of an old Memphis May Fire record. Their song writing is also chock full of apparent passion. This is partly due to their “stop-go” rhythms as a heaviness delivery method. And lastly, vocalist Andrew Herman is an absolute monster and impresses over the entire runtime of Moments Elsewhere. This is immediately shown with opener “2040” as Herman sounds like a man possessed screaming over slightly distorted, crushing chords. There are a couple instances of electronic related sampling here too, and that is a mainstay throughout the record, though not overdone. This allows the record to stay true to itself while also differentiating it from its contemporaries. I also love how the bass is incorporated at the end of the opener.
“Full Tilt” is another feat of a track. The start of it sounds like clowns in a circus are about to start moshing, in the best way. Once the instrumental proper opens, you get one of many examples of how having two guitarists is a huge boon for Booth. The rhythmic chords are always well produced, well performed, and well written, but the leads are the real star of the show. They elevate the tracks in subtle yet impactful ways. They’re often ethereal, like those you’d get out of Northlane’s recent output, yet the high energy of them matches the chords. You see that here, you see it in the previous track of “Collapse in the Key of Fireworks”, particularly on the impressive bridge section, and you see it mostly everywhere else too. There is always a deeper element for a listener to grab onto and explore, which is hard to say regarding a lot of other metalcore outfits. “Full Tilt” is also, so far, the biggest showing of the singing that Herman can use to accompany his insane screams. The fact that he’s so good at both is a huge reason why this band and album impresses me – he reminds me of vocal juggernauts of old that were able to attract the biggest crowds at Warped Tour. Lastly, this track also has moments of peace, allowing one to breathe, so it does it all.
“The Ladder” is another monstrous track, which can truly be said for the whole track listing. Herman sounds absolutely pissed off about the state of how humanity lives their lives. The lyrics resulting from this are beautifully poetic and poignant, and Herman uses his skill in delivery to make them something even more special, as he’s known to do. From the instances of Herman screaming “absurd existence” in a slow mannered way to drive it home, to lyrical cuts such as “we came here from million of miles // to grow from the Earth just to end up back inside it”, this track is the complete package. The opposite side of this coin comes within a brief intermission that follows it in “The Mirror” which is very lo-fi and pretty but certainly in the band’s wheelhouse.
Another instance of a softer cut done well is a portion of the next track, “Only by Name.” While I think the first half lacks in comparison to the more fully realized heavier cuts, the last two minutes paints a more ethereal, cathartic picture utilizing a couple different styles – it’s a bit to unpack. The aforementioned second half starts with an experimental, blissful soundscape before opening up a bit with a pretty standard metalcore bridge. However, it disguises itself as a full bridge when it’s really just leading into another evolution of the track, and finally ending in distortion filled chugging.
The band continues experimenting with softer cuts with “Why Becomes How” but I do feel like this one misses the mark a bit. It’s a fine listen, but it abandons the dynamic nature that the band is so good at using to produce mind blowing songs. It’s a standard metalcore ballad, albeit with above average lyrics.
I also want to bring attention to “No Comply,” mostly due to how it closes out – a frenzied riff with a perfect tone for what the band is trying to pull off, and it fades out as it leads into the funky starting riff of “Bright Future.” The latter is full of bravado and energy, both lyrically and instrumentally. “Put on your Sunday best and give me four on the floor” goes hard with the group harmonizing, and the chorus on this cut is on par with some of the best.
Tracks that I didn’t mention, I’d classify as ones that did not do too much for me. It’s difficult for albums to not have a couple of those, and while Moments Elsewhere is fantastic, it did not escape that. The vast majority of this album is still full of high energy, pristinely heavy, well-crafted tracks. Fans of metalcore/hardcore and adjacent genres will likely have a new favorite on the year after listening to this triumph.
8.5/10
You can pre-order Moments Elsewhere here before it drops this Friday, July 21st, via Booth Records.