Posted on: August 26, 2010 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Catalyst and Mass Movement of the Moth create this split album, and do it in an interesting way. Instead of having “sides” where each band is able to show their wares, the bands go one after another fr the entirety of the disc’s 11 tracks. The Catalyst thus start off the disc with “Panic Don’t Panic” with a track that is loud and boisterous, and it brings in a heavy amount of noise to what seems like a blending of grunge and sludge. Mass Movement of the Moth’s first track oh this split is “Hotel Fever”, and it uses a little circus meets rockabilly band rhythm at the beginning of things to give the track a certain feeling. This vintage sound continues through this track, while the band coalesces to the point that something that might normally be fuzzed-out, obnoxious rock has definite melodies.

The Catalyst throw a monkey wrench into things with the opening of their second track “Three Ring Binder As Makeshift Monster” which starts out quietly (almost in the vein of acts like Husker Du) before tying together noise with angular, almost mathematic guitar lines. This interacts well with the ropey bass lines of Mass Movement of the Moth’s next track “Stuck in the Segue”, which rapidly shifts gears and approaches a thrash sound even as the synthesizers make it known that this is not completely following in every thrash band’s footsteps. This track again marks the desire of Mass Movement of the Moth to create an overarching theme for the track; what started out much more edgy and pointed has its moments where psychedelic fumes muck things up.

The great thing about this split is that it is not conducted with the constraint of a seven inch record’s runtime. Many times, individuals are not able to get a full appreciation for the band. However, with The Catalyst getting six tracks and Mass Movement of the Moth getting five, individuals will know what to expect when the bands are able to release something else in the near future. Both bands continually give listeners something else to mull on; the instrumental track to “Thirsty Like Water Thirsty” shows The Catalyst as a band that can eschew vocals without losing any of the allure that marked previous tracks on this split. If you are a fan of post-modern rock, full of anger, rage, and distortion, then “Two Thousand and 666” is the split album for you.

Top Tracks: The Catalyst / Thirsty Like Water Thirsty , Mass Movement of the Moth / Hotel Fever

Rating: 7.2/10

Mass Movement of the Moth + The Catalyst – Two Thousand and 666 / 2006 The Perpetual Motion Machine / 11 Tracks / Reviewed 02 October 2006

[JMcQ]

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