Moran - Element

Moran began their career with the release of Element, a three song single from June 2008 which was limited to 2000 copies. Made up of well-known band members from bands such as Fatima and kurt, Moran holds promise, and their music was much anticipated.

Element begins with a muffled drum and guitar opening before the vocals of Hitomi begin and the music comes into focus. While Hitomi has a more of a nasally vocal sound to begin with, on this track it is particularly light and delicate. His voice barely changes in range except in the chorus, and Hitomi brings his voice higher. On a first listen, Element comes across as a boring track with no particularly outstanding qualities. However with a few listens, the pretty chorus, good guitar solo and general talent in the song seeps through, and Element grows on you and becomes a pleasant beginning to the single.

Party Monster is where the fun begins. It builds up in its beginning, starting soft before the guitar and bass go into full swing. The song has a very catchy bass filled rhythm and Hitomi plays up to it, singing along. There's heavy distortion in this song, both vocally and musically, which adds to the unique aspect of the track. The most addictive of the song is the chorus, which proves thoroughly enjoyable as Hitomi and a crowd in the background chant "Party Monster." This song is the most fun to jump around to, and is the best track on the single.

Hamlin finishes out the single with an enjoyable bang, from the sudden vocals the song abruptly begins with to the musical arrangement that remains fast paced and wild. Hitomi is clearly having more fun on this track with singing, and he is all over the place, exercising his true talent through voice inflections, raspy growls and sonorous singing in the chorus. This song is more reminiscent of something heard from his Fatima days, and with bass-filled solos and guitar rifts, this is a great song.

As Moran's first release, they showcased their talent in a variety of styles. While it was risky starting the single with a slow song like Element, it was a successful risk backed up by its upbeat B-side tracks which more than made up for the slow opening track. It shows that Moran has a lot to offer. While they are experimenting, it is clear they plan to have fun and produce quality music. Moran is definitely a band to keep an eye on for new releases in the future.