Formed two years ago in a Staten Island basement by fraternity brothers Chris Scott (Vocals), Dave Cohen (Guitar), Michael Funk (Bass), and Dan Luczak (Drums), All In Moment is a hard rock band that will be familiar to fans who frequent the tri-state area scene, now with a change in the lineup with the addition of Luke Lewis (Bass).
All In Moment enjoys producing tracks that challenge the normal themes of sex, drugs, and materialism that we often hear in modern music, instead focusing on ideas they feel are important to communicate to their audience. Their self-titled album, released in June 2019, features a broad array of ideas and musical themes that reflect the group’s wide range of personal influences.
The first track of All In Moment’s self-titled album is titled “Before the Bombs Drop.” Inspired by Rage Against the Machine, the song discusses today’s turbulent political landscape in a classic metal style. The influence is clear in the driving instrumentals that begin the track; stormy percussion and snaking guitar riffs lead us into clearly-delivered lyrics that ask “Who are these people that we’re choosing” to lead us? Perfect for fans of Rage Against the Machine, Green Day, and Anti-Flag, this politically-charged anthem is a powerful way to begin the album.
“Haunt Me” employs haunting, high-pitched guitar riffs paralleled by rolling, deep basslines to create a sense of duality in the instrumentals. Although I wish the vocals were a bit more forward in the mix, the balance between high and low is wonderfully done in this track, making for a full-feeling listening experience. “Haunt Me’s” phrasing is also well-fit to the rhythms in the instrumental, allowing the song as a whole to flow smoothly from beginning to end. Small details like the bass fills at 4:30 and strategic cymbal hits throughout the track add a lot to the mix, solidifying “Haunt Me” as one of the strongest tracks of the album in my book.
“Unstoppable” is the heaviest track of All In Moment’s self-titled album. Based on the theme of feeling so powerful that nothing can stop you (hence the title), the song is energetic and filled with classic metal-style instrumentals. Shaking waves of cymbals and shimmying guitar lines weave their way through the drawn-out vocals, chugging along through each measure in between. The main breakdown of the track emphasizes the screams and spaces between the notes that makes metal such an interesting genre to listen to.
The next track, “From Chaos Comes Clarity,” is a great follow-up to “Unstoppable” in terms of musical themes. A bit lighter, but faster and full of groove, the track is one of my favorites of the album for the way its energy, off-beat phrasing, and instrumentals interact. The lyrics of “From Chaos Comes Clarity” reflect on the idea that sometimes you have to lose it all in order to truly find yourself: “Sometimes we all gotta fall / To find ourselves / From chaos, from chaos, from chaos comes clarity / From chaos, from chaos, from chaos comes clarity / I turned to drugs and alcohol to fill this empty hole / I’ve become a lot colder to all the people I know.”
“For You” is the track of the album that holds the widest appeal in terms of genre. Twinkling guitar notes and comparatively soft vocals tell a timeless story of a girl over well-placed kick drum and bass rhythms: “I don’t know what it is / About you, is it your pretty face? / Maybe the way you laugh, I know it’s made me want to dance…. / If I could, you know I would / Give you the world.” Although markedly different from All In Moment’s other tracks with more of a pop rock feel, “For You” has a lot of potential to be a fan favorite, and maybe even a track that introduces new fans to All In Moment’s heavier tracks, and heavier music in general.
“Refuse the Call” pays tribute to HBO’s Game of Thrones in its themes of familial betrayal. Beginning with haunting vocals soon joined by intense, rhythmic guitar lines and heavy bass notes, the track brings the album back around to All In Moment’s heavier style in dramatic juxtaposition to the previous song. The emotion in the vocals echoes that of each piece of the instrumentals, aggression and a sense of betrayal present in delivery and tone as strongly as it is in the lyrics. “Refuse the Call” is an effective track for storytelling and emotive energy.
The bassline at the beginning of “Oblivion” is attention-catching right away. Right in the pocket and effective at setting the tone of the track, the bass is used as more of a melodic instrument than a rhythmic one, which is always a refresher. Although the phrasing of the vocals of “Oblivion” could be mixed up a bit—nothing is truly emphasized when every word is dragged out—their rhythm flows well with the instrumentals, which really take the spotlight in this one. That being said, the chorus is well-done on all fronts, and definitely catchy in its simplicity.
“Not That Far Away” is the first song All In Moment created together, but the final one of the album. The song incorporates some of the softer guitar themes of “For You” to kick things off, soon to be set off by driving rhythms and aggressive staccato notes as we move along farther into the song. “Not That Far Away” is impressive for a first song, and does well placed last in the album for its inclusion of familiar themes from almost all of the previous tracks.
Connect with All In Moment:
Facebook
Instagram
Twitter
Spotify
***Like the majority of my reviews, a submission fee was charged for this post.***
