“There must be a better way.”
Closure in Moscow are a powerful example of why the mantra of “quality over quantity” rings so true in the musical world. The Aussie band have built a passionate, loyal fanbase in the modern prog scene, despite a body of work that can be best described as sparse given the number of years they have been together.
Since forming in 2006, Closure in Moscow have released their debut EP, The Penance and the Patience (2008), and the full-length albums First Temple (2009) and Pink Lemonade (2014). While a grand total of three studio releases in more than a decade and a half may seem unsustainable for most acts, Closure have sustained the interest of their fanbase because of the consistently high quality of their music and live show, and because no other band does what they do in the same way.
What makes Closure stand out is the unique niche they’ve carved out at the border of progressive eccentricity and mainstream rock accessibility. This is a band that can get deeply weird and quirky, without ever losing their commitment to huge hooks and emotional vulnerability.
Nine years after the release of Pink Lemonade, this delicate balancing act remains as carefully calibrated as ever as the band finally returns with Soft Hell. The long-gestating new album also feels like the perfect distillation of the variation across their discography up until this point. It successfully merges the multi-genre experimentation of Pink Lemonade with the more focused post-hardcore energy of First Temple, along with a greater lyrical openness from frontman Christopher de Cinque that makes this new batch of songs their most emotionally impactful to date.
“Jaeger Bomb” kicks off the album with a powerful introduction to the theme of living in a ‘soft hell.’ The lyrics contrast the naïveté of childhood wonder with the realization that the world isn’t always as magical as it first appears. The track’s dramatic tempo changes and electrifying dynamic energy immediately show that Closure haven’t missed a step in nine years away.
Another early standout is lead single “Better Way”. De Cinque brilliantly captures how yearning for a lost relationship can turn a person into a shell of their former self, as he belts “There must be a better way,” over a frantic lead riff that immediately calls back to First Temple.
This is no mere retread of past glories, however. “Absolute Terror Field” centres its unexpected sonic detours around a dark, industrial-tinged churning groove and menacing guest vocals. Elsewhere, “Holy Rush” dives further than ever before into the band’s funk rock explorations, feeling straight out of the 1970s in the best way possible.
Closure in Moscow has consistently shown a genuine gift for repurposing sounds of past musical eras with a fresh twist, and another incredible example of this can be found on penultimate track “Lovelash”. The empowering ode to the highs and lows of a romantic relationship fully embraces classic rock bombast, yet manages to avoid falling into pastiche because of consistently clever songwriting twists and the genuine passion the band brings to every note.
Far from running out of steam after so many years away from releasing new material, Closure in Moscow have delivered a career-defining opus on Soft Hell. Across 12 tracks, they remind listeners exactly why they remain one of the most exciting bands in the modern progressive movement, and have delivered one of the genre’s finest albums of the year. Here’s to hoping we don’t have to wait another decade for the next one.
9/10
Soft Hell is out October 27th via Bird’s Robe Records, and you can pre-order it here.