MOON WISDOM – Let Water Flow

vote
5.5

• Bands:
  MOON WISDOM
• Duration: 00:29:00
• Available from: 01/16/2026
• Label:

• Hypnotic Dirge Records

Streaming not yet available

“You know a thousand things, you discover a thousand things / Which are hidden from the simple shepherd”: they chose a nice name for themselves, the Cuneo band Moon Wisdom, which reminded us a little of the poignant description of the Moon offered by Leopardi in his splendid “Night Song of a Wandering Shepherd of Asia”. Unlike the satellite to which the Leopardi nomad entrusts his torments, however, Moon Wisdom seem to be in a bit of a hurry.
“Let Water Flow”, their debut album, arrives less than a year after the band's formation, preceded only by two singles released very quickly between November and December. We don't know if this concern is a deliberate choice or the result of contingencies, but given the result we wonder if, perhaps, it wouldn't have been better to allow ourselves a more relaxed timeframe and perhaps test our proposal on a less demanding format than the full-length.
Of course, we're not talking about absolute beginners: the trio is nothing more than a remodulation of Mortress, who, albeit with limited results, have been around for at least a couple of years. Of that experience, however, Moon Wisdom seem to have mostly taken over the weak points, despite the attempt to reinvent themselves in a different genre.

Speaking of genres, exactly as happened with Mortress – who presented themselves as a black-death group despite having very little black – even in the case of Moon Wisdom the description does not faithfully reflect the product. On paper, “Let Water Flow” should be a 'ritual' that celebrates the so-called 'Norwegian second wave' by combining punk attitude and depressive nuances; yet, when listening, you recognize almost none of this.
The stylistic features of the second wave of Norwegian black metal are actually taken up again, albeit in a manneristic and elementary form, but are grafted with elements that have very little to do with punk, starting with a virtuoso and clean guitar. Furthermore, all those devices that give an atmospheric black album a ritualistic character are missing (such as internal references, the more or less circular structure, the presence of large meditative sections or the search for an evocative sound).
Let's take “As Rain” for example, the first real track of the platter: the insistent riffing is more repetitive than hypnotic and, even when it varies, it does so in a mostly mechanical way, nipping any emotional flow in the bud. Neither the drumming helps, which does not serve the atmosphere and unnecessarily complicates the progress of the song, nor the flat vocal line, among whose lashes a rather naive text is evident.
Towards the middle, the piece changes abruptly, opening up to suggestions with a heavy aftertaste, complete with solos, cheeky bass line and upbeat drums: elements which, paradoxically, outline a profile of Moon Wisdom that is potentially more 'centred' than the one on which the band has chosen to focus.

This rather immature approach to songwriting, both manneristic and inconsistent, is undoubtedly one of the great weak points of this work. The impression is that Moon Wisdom tried to build an identity through juxtaposition, rather than synthesis; as if the contributions of the various members were not well harmonized with each other: the result is 'Frankenstein-songs' like “Ashen Winds” or “Dark Shades”, in which drums and guitar seem to pursue different objectives, while the voice seems to be content with a supporting role, perhaps trying to recall the raw style of the first Darkthrone or the original Satyricon, without however managing to channel their genuine rottenness.
A similar disharmony can also be found in the sound: the guitar is clear and often so prominent that it dominates the rest, the voice dirty but not very incisive, the bass fluctuating, and overall there seems to be a lack of a precise idea of ​​how this mix of ideas should sound. “Ashen Winds” itself, in this sense, is a rather eloquent example of the problem.

As we mentioned, perhaps it is precisely what is less black in “Let Water Flow” that opens a window for the future.
Considering that this is a debut and a work with a DIY feel, it could be a quiet start capable of leading to some more interesting developments, as long as Moon Wisdom manages to find a balance between their different influences.
And that they take all the time necessary: ​​as Leopardi teaches, the Moon does not fear the worries of the world.