Source: Album Artwork
As Friends Rust vocalist Damien Moyal is back with a new project, this time exploring the minimalist side of rock as Damien Done. Moyal has spent the past decade performing with hardcore bands like Morning Again, Culture, and Shai Hulud. His latest project diverges massively from this sound, introducing darker, more muted vibes to his discography. Stay Black is Damien Done’s debut album, set to be released alongside a 7” EP on July 8th. The album is an acoustic-driven, abstract release, and an example of a talented musician’s eclectic ability.
Damien Done is presented as having a very diverse sound from the start. Old school rock and roll track ‘Dude Becomes Sea’ is almost abrasive against those like ‘Lighten Up’, which is dangerously close to being country. It’s possible this genre shift is intentional—with the latter being found on Damien Done’s EP—but intentional or not, the abstract nature of Moyal’s new project is an impressive feat. It’s incredibly self-indulgent, but it takes an exceptional musician to attempt something so ambitious.
The rest of Damien Done’s debut is just as compelling. Instrumental number ‘Catsong’ acts as a transition piece between Stay Black and the 7” EP. Moyal structures the track’s instrumentation to include a sound reminiscent of a cat’s meow, alongside stripped back, smooth guitar riffs. The effect is almost dreamlike, winding down Stay Black and cleansing the palette for a relatively heavier EP.
Stay Black track ‘She’s About To Lose It’ is ethereal in a similar way, with echoing, delicate vocals layered underneath acoustic guitars. Again, the track is the polar opposite of another, ‘And Now The Rain’, which features raw, gruff vocals, and intentionally stunted instrumentals. It’s in its disjointed nature that the release falls flat. Sure, the ability to produce something this broad is impressive for a musician, but an artist should have some form of coherency. Stay Black lacks this.
Overall, the release is an interesting take on rock, and it could even be said that Moyal’s minimalist style is reminiscent of New Jersey’s Danzig. Damien Done is the muted, ambitious brainchild of a musician finally creating something that is entirely theirs. A+ for effort, B+ for effect.
