Short Reviews [The Mourning - 2018 - "Theosis"]

It was suggested to me that I really ought to listen to the debut EP from Florida-based band The Mourning, and as soon as I streamed it I knew that I had to write about it. Led by keyboard player and singer Johnny Ray, this musically is a real mess, and I love it. There are times when I think that they are bringing in Savatage for a new generation, then it’s Cardiacs, then Discipline, then they are using fairground music, and after a while I just give up and decide that these guys are truly being progressive and I’m just going to sit back and enjoy it and give up trying to describe it. This, their debut release, contains seven songs and comes in at thirty-five minutes long, and they are currently working on their debut album, which if this is anything to go by will be a killer. It made me think very much of the Nineties when there were bands bringing together influences from multiple sources and then letting the audience find them, as opposed to creating something rather more generic for which they knew there were people who would listen to the music. It really sounds like the guys are having fun, and Johnny has a great voice, but Spence Howard produces some wonderful lines on bass, Jason Berlin is never content to provide any sort of basic backing, John Richardsen utilises multiple different styles on keyboards while Thomas Griggs can riff like a bastard, throw down power chords, or be rather more gentle in his approach. They also bring in guests in vocals and additional instrumentation, and the result is an incredible well balanced and powerful progressive rock album. “Moment” has everything, and while Johnny goes off the scale vocally it is the nuances such as a bass chord that really makes this pop. The Mourning are an exciting new band, and when they come back with a full-length album I am convinced they are going to have a major impact on the progressive scene.