Closure In Moscow - First temple

Closure In Moscow is a young australian band formed in 2006 by five friends from Melbourne. They quickly attracted the attention of their american peers of Saosin for whom they opened on their continent and were then featured in Alternative Press magazine. It takes nothing more to the label Taperjean Records (Limbeck, As Tall As Lions, Copeland) to sign them and enable them to release their first EP in early 2008, 'The penance and the patience', before the band was taken under much more reputable Equal Vision bosses' wing in the United States after many difficulties. And it's not a surprise if Closure In Moscow find themselves on the same label as Circa Survive and The Fall Of Troy today. Their progressive and technical rock and their singer Chris De Cinque's high-pitched voice have it all to please genre's fans.

They release their first album this month, produced as the EP by Kris Crummett (Drop Dead, Gorgeous, Fear Before, Dance Gavin Dance). 'The penance and the patience' showed such a large creative potential that this debut became long-awaited for what we could call the «Absolute Punk community».
The most enthusiastic ones must not be disappointed. 'First temple' features the same prog-rock and alt-rock elements, combining with verve technical parts and catchy hooks. Whereas some songs are genuine hymns to electric guitar ('Afterbirth'), others put De Cinque's subtle and high vocals in the spotlight, reminding inevitably those of The Mars Volta's Cedric Bixler-Zavala ('Reindeer age'), a few have an obvious jazzy rhythm ('A night at the spleen'), while the last ones sound more like Saosin's mid-tempo alternative rock ('Deluge'). Starts are powerful, guitars squeal in real sound explosions, the pace set by the technicality of Mansur Zennelli and Michael Barrett's riffs. The best example is the one used as 'Sweet#hart' intro which will without any doubt appear in the year's best riffs ranking. Closure In Moscow however don't lock themselves in a system of technique taken to extremes, the downpour of guitars being accompanied by meticulous samples with different contents, sometimes electronic ('Kissing cousins'), sometimes ambient ('Permafrost') and the band even uses acoustic on the interlude 'Couldn't let you love me', while at the same time some riffs from 'Sweet#hart' and 'Arecibo message' remind oriental tones.
The most appealing tracks yet are the most energetic ones, placed in the first half of the album. The second one is darker and more mid-tempo just like 'I'm a ghost in twilight', one of the only tracks not making us feel like pushing «repeat». Pitfalls are, therefore, clearly avoided and we get out of this 'First temple' with the pleasant sensation that we didn't have to be subjected to the listening of songs already heard a hundred times like it too often happens with actual new bands.

It's this ability to break the casual mold of songs composition and this skilful blend of technique, melody and originality that could make Closure In Moscow one of the scene's main bands in the near future. For the moment, the Australians at least just made one of 2009's best full-length debuts to date.

3.5/5

Recommanded if you like:
Saosin, The Mars Volta, Coheed And Cambria
Check also:
Damiera, Secret And Whisper, In:Aviate

www.myspace.com/closureinmoscow
(Equal Vision Records, 2009)