JEX THOTH - Blood Moon Rise

Perhaps the genres defined against the term occult should not have a precise recipe, something like: add some doom from Black Sabbath, first era, then some melodic and psychedelic themes, to make it more like stoner rock, then some lyrics about spells, and voila! An occult product! But occultism in music can arise from the simplest classic styles, or it can be blues, or it can be black metal. 

The most recent album by the Americans from Jex Thoth is an occult one, with the aforementioned basic ingredients, but it’s hard to find fault with it. This is the natural language used by Jessica Bowen’s band, a language in which they wrote the new Blood Moon Rise. This is a material consisting of nine odes with the main theme being paganism. The voice Jex puts over the instrumental part will always be the grandiose point of this band.  

The strong scent of nostalgia has always been present on Jex Thoth releases, and Blood Moon Rise is no exception. From time to time there is a tiny little positive bit in the songs of these dreamers from Madison, and on this album it gives us the second song, The Places You Walk. 

Among the usual slow tempos and low and heavy guitars, a few short passages sound like drone played to a subtle jazz rhythm. Atmospheric parts are also amazing, especially on Ehjä, where the mystery of darkness blends best with melancholy, and the record ends on a folk note with Psyar, exploding in a classic and adorable solo.   

Jex Thoth has a special rank in this huge wave of occult doom recited by a female voice, as this band acts as the tribe chief. They have been and will remain the strongest appearance in this current of musicians abusing spiritual motifs because they sell pretty damn good, or because there is “fun” in the end. Jex Thoth don’t seem like the protagonists of community games worshipping… LSD. The music created by Jessica Thoth & Co. has a natural mission, and the execution to match it, and Blood Moon Rise is an album for a traveller that has ended up in the woods and has no choice but to work with its tools. He’ll find out on his own if this is good or bad, and so will the listener of this album.

Gina S. Nota: 9