THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO...RED MOON ARCHITECT – October Decay (Noble Demon)THIS WEEK I’M LISTENING TO...RED MOON ARCHITECT – October Decay (Noble Demon)

There is beauty in desolation, as Red Moon Architect will no doubt testify. Starting out as a solo project by drummer and multi-instrumentalist Saku Moilanen Red Moon Architect released their first album ‘Concealed Silence’ in 2012 and over time have evolved into a full band with a healthy back catalogue to their name. ‘October Decay’ is their sixth album – their second for Noble Demon – and sees the band twisting their doom laden melancholy into interesting and almost unfathomable depths.

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‘October Decay’ serves up six lengthy metallic dirges, slow and grinding and desperately relentless, brought to life via the twin vocals of Ville Rutanen and Anni Viljanen (who guested on ‘Concealed Silence’ and has been a part of the outfit ever since) which either provide a beautiful counterpart or an energetic harmony, depending on the dynamics of the song. It’s an album that acts as a mirror to bleak and separate times, and songs like ‘In Silence’ and teaser single ‘First Of October’ are symphonic yet dissonant reflections.

None of this, however, detracts from the intricacies and splendour of the half-dozen compositions. The songs here have been expertly crafted and executed with an intense degree of precision, and with nothing superfluous to the soundscapes created by the band the effect is intense and unrelenting. A true voyage into the heart of the damned.

Video Clip:
‘First Of October’ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xKaznQPoSYo

© John Tucker April 2025