This Moment in Black History
Public Square
Smog Veil

If you’re looking for a ripping, shredding, and rocking good time in 2010, then look no further than This Moment in Black History’s Public Square.  More diverse, more melodic, and way more listenable than their previous releases, Public Square showcases keyboardist/vocalist Chris Kulcsar, guitarist Buddy Akita, bassist Lawrence Daniel Caswell, and drummer Lamont “Bim” Thomas at the top of their games.

“Forest Whitaker,” “About Last Night,” and “MFA” have that old school Ohio garage punk feel, much like Columbus’ much beloved New Bomb Turks.  While “Pollen Count” and “90 % Done” showcase a sort of punk/doom hybrid — One with the riffs the longhairs love, but lacking the bong-headed energy, or lackthereof, that dooms most stoner metal to the fringes.  Partly this combination works because of Kulcsar’s vocals — The dude only knows one speed and that speed is manic, but not to be overlooked is the band’s wise decision to cap the sticky riffs at a reasonable time limit.  They’re not out to recreate Sleep’s Dopesmoker.  Rather, they pull from it, then get back to rocking the f*ck out.  Here, Caswell and Thomas show great control — Steering the band smoothly between two extreme tempos.  Akita, meanwhile, is never at loss for a riff, whether that riff is quick and nimble or low and brutal.   All of this leads to a new found sense of restraint in the This Moment in Black History camp.  The volume and frequency of Kulcsar’s squawk box which once hogged the high end of the mix, have both been lowered.  This frees spaces to hear the thing which us Cleveland Rockers have known for a long time — This Moment in Black History lay down one mean, soulful, and banging rhythm after another.  8 out of 10 on the Rockometer.

MP3: This Moment in Black History – Public Square
MP3: This Moment in Black History – Pollen Count