I Just Read About That…

[ATTENDED: May 19, 2019] Moon Tooth

Moon Tooth are a band from Long Island who began in 2012.  They have two albums and some EPs out.

What’s most striking about them is how much the one guy (guitarist Nick Lee) does not look like the other three.

Vocalist John Carbone, drummer Ray Marté and bassist Vincent Romanelli are all broad guys with short hair, while Lee has long locks and is quite thin.

In some respects he feels like an outsider musically as well.  The rhythm section is heavy and groovin and Carbone’s voice fits along really well with it.  It’s not growly or traditionally metal high-pitched, it’s just really powerful–he’s got a great voice.

Lee’s guitars feel a lot more metal, though–little squeaky high notes and flashy riffs and what not.

But I  think it all works together pretty well.  The other contrast is that Lee came across as pretty snarly.  He had a lot of angry faces when he played,. whereas Carbone was as warm and friendly as talked about peace and togetherness and other niceties.

Listening to the studio versions, the contrasts aren’t as stark, actually.  The bands sounds really solid together, so maybe it was just opening band syndrome–not getting mixed as well as they should have.  Or maybe they just sound different live.

They played seven songs, all from their new album expect for the one “old-school track,” “Silver Gallows” which comes form their debut EP.  That song had a bit more guitar pyrotechnics.

My favorite song was Musketeers.  It has a nice vocal melody in the chorus.  I didn’t realize the lyrics were so good until looking at it now and I like it even more:

Now I’m raising this soapbox
Against a stiff right hand
Never gonna fall in line
With the “great” white man
Small hands, small crowds
Bring him down
Kick out the clown

The crowd responded well to them and, as a I said, Carbone was super friendly and warm, which is always nice.

I came away from their set with a good feeling abut the band (and like maybe I went to high school with them–if they were Jersey guys I’d have said definitely), and I’ve since enjoyed listening to their records as well.

1. Trust
2. Omega Days
3. Musketeers
4. Silver Gallows *
5. Thumb Spike
6. Awe at All Angles
7. Crux