All of you Rock ‘N’ Roll lifers out there, take notice. This is how one ages gracefully. Cleveland’s This Moment in Black History first made their name in these parts with a caustic, hectic, and often times uncomfortable brand of Clevo punk. Lead vocalist, Chris Kulcsar screeched more than he sang and that noise box of his was often pitched way high and way loud, obscuring the tight musicianship of bassist Lawrence Daniel Caswell, drummer Bim Thomas and guitarist Buddy Akita. 2010’s Public Square would be the first sign that This Moment in Black History were toning down, but not done rocking out. Here, the heavy grooves of doom and drone rock first appeared along side their punk rock fare.

Now, with “Lottery Dad,” the first track released from Higher Deffer, the band’s forthcoming album on Smog Veil Records, the band are taking another turn. This time the surprise is melody. One still can’t say This Moment in Black History are a pop band, but damn, if there isn’t a strong, mid-tempo melody here that appears right quick after a slick, fleet-fingered intro. And the groove? Well, it’s just what we’ve come to expect from this Cleveland quartet — Tight, well-paced and ready to go full-rip mode on command.

UPDATE: Looks like we lost our soundcloud stream. I’ll replace it if/when it becomes available again. And this is why I waited so long to embrace the soundcloud. Shit’s annoying when it’s there one minute, gone the next and we’re left with a big block of nothing on the bottom of the page.

UPDATE: And we’re back.