The Atlas Moth

The Old Believer (Profound Lore)

Graceful and powerful, Chicago’s Atlas Moth hones its sweeping art metal to its finest point yet on The Old Believer. The songs ebb and flow, cruising like lava down a volcano side, burning mournful melodies directly into the earth. Guitarists Stavros Giannopoulos and David Kush trade licks and vocals, Kush’s heart-on-sleeve baritone contrasting Giannopoulos’ agonized screams. The Moth crushes hearts in “Wynona” and “Jet Black Passenger,” reassembling in “Sacred Vine” and “Halcyon Blvd.” The Old Believer exploits a unique balance of tuneful and brutal.

***.5

This article appears in June 27 • 2014.

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Michael Toland started writing about music in 1988 on the Gulf Coast, moved to Austin in early 1991, and has inflicted bylines upon the corporeal and digital pages of Pop Culture Press, The Big Takeover, Blurt, Amplifier, Austin.citysearch, the Austin American Statesman, Goldmine, Sleazegrinder, Rock & Roll Globe, High Bias, FHT Music Notes, and, since 2011, The Austin Chronicle.