Moon Rock Review
Album art by Sprouteeh
Buy Moon Rock
From the moment that Ro Panuganti told me about Moon Rock over two years ago, I was sold. A rock tribute to one of my favorite gaming soundtracks of all time, Super Mario Odyssey, seemed like a smash hit, and so I’ve been patiently waiting (and sometimes bugging Christian Richardson) for this album. I would have written this review sooner, but I needed some time to let the album settle, and I’m glad that I did because Moon Rock can be a bit of an overwhelming listen at first.
There are so many ideas and sounds colliding on this album that the listener might be gasping for breath by the end of Moon Rock. While that’s a criticism of the pacing of the album, it’s also a compliment on the arrangements which vary from a more traditional metal take on “Tostarena Ruins” to something more pop-punk on “Fossil Falls”. Every track is packed with so many jaw-dropping moments that your jaw begins to hurt. Even though the album is only 21 minutes, I would have gladly listened to another 20 or 30 minutes of this, especially if there were a few breather tracks included. As it stands, I think this album benefits from its relatively short runtime, but I would love to see these ideas fleshed out further.
As for the performances, both Christian Richardson and Ro Panuganti deserve praise, and their musical chemistry is nothing short of brilliant. Guests Brin Surtie and Tiggs add some welcome variety to the mix for the opening and closing tracks, and mastering engineer Alejandro Hernandez makes sure that every instrument and voice shines, but the album does stumble a bit in the bass department. That’s not to say that the bass isn’t performed well, but rather, it was buried in the mix.
All complaints aside, the positives far exceed the negatives, so I would wholeheartedly recommend Moon Rock to VGM fans as well as Mario fans. These are some of the most creative takes I’ve ever heard, and I only hope that I don’t have to wait another two years for a sequel.
RATING: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
(Most VGM Fans Should Enjoy)