MOSE GIGANTICUS

Matt Garfield is a man of many hats. A by-product of the Philly punk scene, Garfield takes on many a role in the synth/stoner/punk/metal hybrid known as MOSE GIGANTICUS. Listed as songwriter, drummer, keyboardist, programmer and drummer, it's safe to say this cat is the brains behind the operation. Hell, he even re-tooled the band's bus to run on environmentally-friendly vegi-desiel, so I guess we can add mechanic to his list of duties. His penchant for multi-tasking aside, I really only have one question for Matt Garfield. How the hell have you managed to stay off my radar until now?

"Gift Horse" is one goddamned solid album that blends a variety of styles while remaining crushing and catchy throughout its entirety. Lyrically, "Gift Horse" is an exploration of Christian mythology and many of these songs are written as a conversation between God and Lucifer about the onset of Armageddon . Fitting, as Garfield's booming vocals seem to come down from above and shake foundations with their powerful delivery. Opener "Last Resort" starts off with a spacy bit of vocoder before some utterly devastating guitars bulldoze their way into the mix. The synth returns during the chorus to double the vocal pattern, adding texture to already infectious hook. One track in and "Gift Horse" is already looking like a contender for Top Ten of 2010. This is only the tip of the iceberg. "The Left Path" offers more of an upbeat groove and bit of exotic melody, while "Days Of Yore" features trippy, '70s proggish synth over a doom-y backdrop. Offering the album's heaviest dose of electronica, "White Horse" soaks the vocals in effects and relies on Garfield's keyboarding abilities to drive the tune's point home. Ragers like "Demon Tusk" and "The Great Deceiver" are obvious nods to the songwriter's punk/metal background and do hit harder than the others, but still fit perfectly into the album's mold. Much like the final battle between the disc's two main character would be, the final track, "The Seventh Seal" is by far the most epic and emotional of the bunch. Garfield's brilliant vocal delivery and hook-laden vocoder work brings this seven-songer to a remarkable close.

If I had to find one big gripe about "Gift Horse", it would be that the goddamn album just isn't long enough. A disc this powerful and listenable deserves a few more tunes tossed into the mix. That's not to bitch about what the band has given us, but it definitely left me yearning for more. In many respects, MOSE GIGANTICUS promises to be Relapse's next MASTODON, not because of the former's similarities to the latter (they're slight, but they are there),but because MOSE delivers an eclectic, almost undefinable, brand of heaviness that could easily make its way to ears of the masses. "Gift Horse" is one of this year's must-haves.