Polymoon - Caterpillars Of Creation

Labels: Svart Records

Formats: Vinyl/CD/Digital

Release Date: 04 Sep 2020

Tracklist:

1. Silver Mountain

2. Lazaward

3. Malamalama

4. Helicaling

5. Neitherworld

6. Metempsychosis

Life has a funny way of throwing you off, of testing your resolve and of playing with your mind.  It does force you start making some decisions (often ones that need to be made). I continue to be as positive as possible though, as nothing comes from being a miserable twat. A part of staying positive for me is being able to immerse myself in interesting, challenging and often heavy music. It's definitely a form of escapism, and as I (seriously) consider taking up meditation, I'm drawn to Finnish psych/prog/space rock band Polymoon and their debut album Caterpillars Of Creation, which was released visa Svart Record earlier this month. As I love Finnish bands in general, this excites me.

I know that this is very much on the lighter side of what I feature on here, but dissonance and breakdowns can only hold my attention for so long. Polymoon is a heavy band, but only when they want to be and I’d consider them more thought-provoking. Album opener ‘Silver Mountain’ is a mix of earthy melodic guitar, careful drums and calming vocals, interspersed by post-rock riffs. Imagine if Cult Of Luna discovered world music and collaborated with Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra. Actually, that would be pretty rad!

The space-rock influence is way more prevalent during ‘Lazaward’ than before and the retro sound/feel of the song really grabs you and transports you back to Woodstock’s gone by. It’s an incredible piece of music that goes through different movements and emotions, while still being one cohesive whole and that heavier crescendo towards the end is great. 

There’s a prime opportunity to appreciate Polymoon’s instrumentation on ‘Malamalama’, where it truly takes centre stage. It’s a great rock song with vocals that reside deep in it’s core and don’t overpower it. There’s something really uplifting about this release and as extra layers are added by swathes of keyboards and mellotrons (possibly?), psychedelia appears in front of you in the form of colours and shapes. It’s that transformative!

‘Helicaling’ is a lot more sinister, with a really pulsating percussive attack and a lot more feedback and vocal reverb. It’s mid-section is introspective but no less immersive, with the constant threat of that noisy edge returning. It’s quite a challenging listen given the relative calm and thoughtful restraint of the album so far.

You’re treated to a mix of both sides of Polymoon on ‘Neitherworld’, which offers a true glimpse into the instrumental wizardry that this band possesses. It was never without question anyway but here it’s at it’s progressive best and while the vocals really complement and add to the album, escaping into the layers of this song is a really joyous feeling. Towards the conclusion, it crashes head on into an abrupt wall of noise that shocks the senses, before silence and mysterious ambience delivers you to the album’s finale.

‘Metempsychosis’ is the perfect way to end with a much more subtle and relaxing tone. Excellent lead work sits up top here and again, Polymoon’s earthiness and cinematic vibes take hold, rounding out an album that will bring hope to those who think the year is lost, in various ways. A fantastic record, from a really incredible band. Hats off to Svart Records for this discovery. More please!

You can stream and purchase Caterpillars Of Creation below:-

You can buy physical copies from Svart Records here - https://svartrecords.com/product/polymoon-caterpillars-of-creation-album/

Svart Records - https://www.facebook.com/svartrecords/