MoonKill, the debut self-titled album from Texas-based outfit MoonKill, is a 10-track collection of Texas punk, a sound that’s vaguely reminiscent of Deep Purple, Talking Heads, and Judas Priest reincarnated as a garage punk band.
In May 2022, the soon-to-be MoonKill members gathered in a T-shirt factory in Austin, Texas for a jam session. The drummer, Fred, was the common denominator among the group, which included a guitarist living in a trailer in his driveway. The jam session resulted in their first song, “Long Line to Hell.”
MoonKill performed their first live gig to a packed house in 2023, followed by playing live shows almost continuously. The band self-produced a 3 song EP, The Kong Sessions, which they gave to Roky Moon, who, after listening to it, offered to produce their debut album. They finished the album in February 2024.
Entry points include opener “Dead Holiday,” a blend of heavy rock and snarling punk flavours riding a ferociously brawny rhythm. The vocals, supplied by Dan, feature deep tenor tones, almost a baritone, that infuse the lyrics with urgent, outraged timbres.
“Chainsaw Bathroom Sex,” a killer title for a song, rolls out on buzzsaw guitars, a thrumming bassline, and walloping drums. Rasping, grimacing vocals imbue the lyrics with wicked, nasty textures. “It’s a long way to the ground / This is a certified vision, I’ve come to bound you down / Take me somewhere, somewhere that’s dark and dirty / Lock up the door and split me open.”
A bad-ass guitar intro sets “Murderhouse” on a propelling thrill ride, travelling on a frenetic melody drenched in serrated surfaces and rounded growling vocals conveying a sense of imminence. “Full Stop” begins with pop-punk-like guitars atop a choppy rhythm. The guitars shift to platinum edgy colours, giving the tune truculent bellicosity.
“Long Line to Hell,” a hard-pushing tune, conjures up sensations of Black Sabbath merged with a satanic punk band unleashing their grinding sound in the foyer of Hell. Driving percussion highlighted by smashing cymbal accents injects the rhythm with a hi-octane cadence.
“Friend or Foe” ties the album off with punk flair – humming, whirring guitars, and Dan’s cavernous-tinged vocals, along with a raw, incandescent guitar solo that fries the atmosphere. With MoonKill, this Texas band delivers something cruelly superior.
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