Born out of a love of stoner / doom metal, Moon Wizard contains members with roots in black / death metal acts – releasing two albums independently before signing with Hammerheart Records on this third record Sirens. Chicago-area vocalist Sami Wolf joined the fold during 2020, adding a new mesmerizing voice that’s equally as heavy as it is soulful – allowing the other musicians a chance to expand sonic horizons through these latest songs. Still the almighty riff beyond the slower moving grooves sway listeners to triumphant appeasement – as subtle branches provide additional sonic texture to cement the main hooks deep into the brain.
Many followers will be hypnotized but the natural low-tuned guitars with the right mix of fuzz / wah-wah pedal action employed by Aaron Brancheau – his sense of drive plus feel impeccable on initial to subsequent playbacks of opener “Meteor” and mammoth “Epoch”. When you sit in that stoner to doom template, there’s a certain level of comfort achieved in specific tempos, bass licks, as well as softer to louder passages that open horizons in terms of adventurous drum fills or multi-level vocal harmonies. Most will be jumping for joy to the catchy musical to vocal components for “Magnolia” that should be a future Moon Wizard set list staple – a mountaintop anthem ready to shake the foundations of any stage. The final two songs “Phantom” and “Sunday” drip in early Sabbath meets Kyuss guitar motifs and potent rhythm section foundational work – to prop up Sami’s magnificent melodies to stretch far and wide to take the band’s style to that haunting place only the greats ever achieve. The tones and production also provide that throwback organic warmth you don’t usually get in the modern marketplace – snare hits that thump your chest while placing the vocals in the ideal spotlight moments.
For this scribe’s first exposure to Moon Wizard, it’s easy to understand how this Utah group will garner accolades for their brand of heaviness should ascend their popularity across numerous subgenres. Sirens takes decades of stoner, doom, and blues-based metal into an engaging set of songs that rock – which is all one could hope for to develop a long-term, sustainable career.