Review: A Sinner’s Past by Early Moods

I became familiar with Early Moods in September of 2021 when I assisted them in booking a show. They put on a great show and some great music!

I preordered this one, so I’ve been looking forward to jamming it. Last Hour kicks off the album. The track has a great back and forth in the riffs and sets up the vocals nicely. This song, and the album for that matter, has a great blend of old school sounding metal with a slightly modern take.

The drums have a great feel. I love when a drummer knows how to work the song and play what is needed to fill out the song.

Blood Offerings comes in from the sound of a void. Soon in it drops in the riff. These songs  sound familiar, but not in a way that sounds like they’re copying anything. It’s like they’re reminding you that this format still lives and that it is not just a thing stuck in the past.

The title track, A Sinner’s Past, sits third in the running. A moderate pace is set at the go. The movement of riffs in this one makes this track smooth as each change either drives you on or slows you down and adjusts the mood at the same moment. Then, it kind of stops and resets for the solo section that leads to the end of the song.

You almost don’t notice the song changes once A Sinner’s Past ends and Walpurgis starts. Great transition and ordering of the tracks. This one keeps the momentum of the album going. Vocals hit a bit harder on this one.

The Apparition follows, and just thuds right in. Love the pace and mood. It’s kind of slow and dreary. The solo brings it a bit of eerieness to the song. And a nice touch was added with the spoken word, or is it a sound clip? I’m not sure, but either way, it works.

Unhinged Spirit drives on the last three tracks of the album with its subtle intro before the heavy kicks in. Hell’s Odyssey and Soul Sorcery close out the album on less of a beat than the previous tracks.

Great album overall, and by now, I’ve listened to it at least a dozen times. Hopefully, they will come back through DFW again so I can hear these live.