It’s not terribly often that we witness bands that have struggled to get out of the demo stage of their existence without first putting out at least an EP or full-length within maybe five or six years. To see a band bounce in and out of periods of activity with even a name change, but then release it’s first full-length after nineteen years since the original founding is something we just don’t see a lot. Moonthoth could’ve done anything with this effort, and the one-man act chose to intrigue in a way that’s very clearly born of talent.

This is one of those situations where it feels like just about anything could’ve happened and it likely would’ve fit. After nineteen years of demos and various lengths of inactivity, I don’t think Moonthoth would’ve been given a hard time from anyone for taking its sound and making a radical change simply because that’s what the guy wanted to do. Rather, “Zmora” shows us simply that Moonthoth has been honing its craft to an incredibly sharp edge to make a deadly weapon that should not be scoffed at whatsoever. Two decades worth of honing can make for something very interesting, and “Zmora” absolutely qualifies as such. There’s a real pulse that goes on throughout the whole of the record that’s always beyond fascinating as Moonthoth never once fails to implement it in such a way that only furthers the listener’s interest in what is happening underneath the layers of well crafted black metal that we’re constantly being bombarded with in every single track. Add on top of that some choice works of ambient that do a solid job at everything they’re designed to do, and there isn’t much going on within the confines of “Zmora” that aren’t delectable from start to finish.

Moonthoth has overcome something that many bands haven’t been able to over the course of its existence with a slowly shrinking line-up threatening the very existence of the act. Like a phoenix, the band has risen, and it’s with “Zmora” that the entity has found a foothold that is beyond fortuitous given its quality. This is definitely an act that has room for improvement like countless others, but it’d be foolish to say that Moonthoth hasn’t done a good job at representing itself, and I’m sure it’s only to get more interesting from here on out.

LISTEN to “Zmora” on Bandcamp here.

LIKE Moonthoth on Facebook here.