One of the most mistaken definitions of contrast in music is having a good balance of loud and quiet.  While both components are necessary for contrast, there is a whole world of musical dynamic between these two extremes.  Many, however, disregard this world of medium (otherwise known as mezzo) dynamics, and simply switch from quiet to loud as if it is an on and off switch.  Indeed, in the world of amplified instruments, dynamics are more difficult to control than a wind instrument or an acoustic string instrument.  This acceptance of stratified dynamics is clearly demonstrated, however, on Ninth Moon Black’s self-titled album.

From Eugene, Oregon, Ninth Moon Black is a quintet consisting of two guitarists, a bassist, a keyboardist, and a (female!) drummer that, while instrumental, attempts to convey dark, atmospheric images through their music.  Reportedly, they project behind them stunning images during their live shows.  To increase their ability to convey, the album is full of vocal samples including Stephen Hawking and Edgar Allen Poe.  At first, it seems that the album has incredible variety, ranging from trippy keyboard intros to blast beat-infused metal, but it is in fact a direct effect of their stratified dynamics.  Their intros and outros, albeit effective and atmospheric, all work the same way – as a creepy rise or descent to or from their heavier sections through the use of keyboards and ambient effects that often sound straight from a crypt.  The album is most certainly dark, as any album with a Poe excerpt should be, and its atmosphere is one of its strongest points.

As the metal side of the band makes up most of the music, it deserves the most discussion.  The sound and groove is tight and everything is audible, partly due to the well-done production and partly because of the musical skills of the band.  The guitar parts are at times technical, but for the most part simply blend with the rest of the mold.  In songs like “Aesthesis,” the synth takes some of the more memorable melodies.  Rhythmically, the music is fairly simple, at its most complex making use of a constant switch between 6/8 and 3/4 by placing accents on beats 1 and 4 or beats 1, 3, and 5.  In overall aesthetic, the music relies on its pure energy and aggression to drive through the long song lengths, a technique that surprisingly works.  In many ways, the music resembles Tool minus the complex time signatures and Maynard James Keenan.  Opener “Penumbra” is the most consistently aggressive and driving song, hooking the listener almost immediately with a static swell into the song’s main theme.  The high point of the album in heaviness, however, comes right in the middle of the album in “The Silent Set,” with double bass pedals flaring and guitars blazing. 

The contrast between these intros/outros and meatier sections often creates a great surprise effect, although by “Anubis” this technique will have already become predictable.  Regardless, Ninth Moon Black’s album brings a taste of aggression that the instrumental genre is so often deprived of.  Despite broken into five long tracks, the album is fast-paced and its 40-some minute length passes quickly, as it is indeed a fun listen.

-Tyler Fisher