Job for a Cowboy "Moon Healer" Review (BACK ON THE JOB AND POSSIBLY BETTER AT IT THAN BEFORE)

[@MetalNeverDieswithMarkA]

I listened to this album 3 times in a row and man… it’s wow. Sun eater is amazing, we had 10 years to listen to it. We might need 10 years to listen and still enjoy this one. Cheers

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I had high hopes and I think we got a worthy successor to Sun Eater here. I wish it didn't take 10 years to get here but I'm glad it's here none the less.

[@C_Skullz]

It took me 7 months to get to this album on my list It was worth the wait🤘 Such a great year for metal again🤘 You're guys did another great job with analysis👏👏and once again had me go back & listen to it with different ears

[@bonemaplegaming9324]

Noodles & Wank is my favorite restaurant.

[@Assimilator702]

I listened to this 3 times at work today and it is absolutely amazing! AOTY 100%! I wish it was a bit longer. The material, musicianship and audio quality are at such a high level I would have no problem with Moon Healer inching towards the 1 hour mark.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I'm still waiting for my copy to get here but I've streamed it multiple times now and it's a banger for sure. I think the run time being a bit tighter works in it's favor me. Nothing on here really got old too repetitive or too drawn out and the songs how a good amount of room to breath with all that spacey atmosphere.

[@Njordvanir241]

I saw them many times when they first started out absolutely love doom and genesis but this new album completely blew me away musically and vocally can't wait to see them live again

[@Sonofthefire4]

i liked sun eater at first, after listening alot. hundreds of listens. it just kept getting better... im already in love with the new one.

[@TheMetalGaia]

Jon, I absolutely agree with you, buddy. 4.5. This is my favorite from JFAC now. They understood the assignment. And yes, John Davy is also one of my favorite vocalists. He's up there with Travis Ryan. Dude is a BEAST. I cannot wait to get my physical copy, and more importantly, to see them live! -Morgan

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, it's got a good chance of making that 4.5 mark in the future. This is a great continuation of what they were doing on Sun Eater and Davy just flat out crushed it again. I got this one on pre-order so I'll be jamming it even more when I get it.

[@Nadinetherescuehound]

Sweet. Hope theres a tour. Theyre awesome live.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Same here. They didn't get a chance to tour on Sun Eater so hopefully they decide to tour on this one at least.

[@stijn_demon-dt]

Great review! I always thought that this band was death core band so I never gave it any attention. Until a few days ago when spotify recommended this album and saw you guys have a review on it. Was I surprised in a good way! This is an absolute banger!!! Thanks guys! 🤘

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, you're not alone with thinking this band is still a deathcore band. They definitely were but that phase didn't last long and what they've been cranking out here lately has been incredible.

[@wheelsofmercury]

Awesome review, boys! I checked out the new album last night via the Metal Blade Records premiere, and it was freaking incredible. Job for a Cowboy was one of the first ever death metal bands I ever got into, and man, the strides that they have made as musicians has been nothing short of incredible.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, I had high hopes for this considering the massive strides they made on Sun Eater and met my expectations and possibly exceeded them in some facets.

[@jiilaa_with_randomness]

I counted your guys' fingers and this ain't AI! I need to get back to this band, so thank you guys. Really real cool stuff! \,,/

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- LOL! Thanks, man! Yeah, this was a welcome return to the fold for Job for a Cowboy here for sure.

[@steazfactor3637]

Went into this album with high expectations and I was still more impressed than I thought I was going to be. What a banger.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- My expectations were very high on this one and bare minimum they were matched and in some ways exceeded. They did a killer job on this one.

[@diazable]

Great review guys. I lole hearing your perspet

[@joerosadini951]

Awesome review guys you are seriously the best on KZbin at album reviews. I fuckingove you guys and I fucking love this band and this album

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Hey! Thanks, man! We really appreciate that! Yeah, this album is sick as hell.

[@jamesgwarrior1981]

No hemming no hawing, or should I say. No heeing no hawing. Straight to the point this is what’s the Friday review spot.

[@Nintendo-Z]

Yo James what’s up bro

[@jamesgwarrior1981]

@@Nintendo-Z Hola Zack 👋🏽 missed a great review here….You a Job For a Cowboy fan? Not a bad little record. I’ve always seen or heard of them but never indulged and it’s good to get into them a little later I think cause now all the hype has calmed down…🤘🏾

[@davidbernard5994]

​@@jamesgwarrior1981 I have no words🤔🤔🤔🤔

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, we weren't going to miss this one.

[@ActualZombeard]

Album of the year contender for sure.

[@elstoxictrace6176]

Wicked review guys. Can’t wait to check this album out. 🤘🤘

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man!

[@franklij1]

I have been wearing out the initial 3 songs that had be pre-released so was dying to get the full album drop. Listened today and it was a journey. Really enjoyed the album, and I think you guys did a bang up job on the review. Cheers!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, I went back and jammed those quite a bit as well as going back and jamming Sun Eater too. This is a worthy sequel for sure. Hopefully they can tour on this one. Cheers!

[@KardashevBand]

Great review. Excellent deep dive. Thank you!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, guys! We wanted to thoroughly dissect this one as we've been eagerly anticipating it. Cheers, guys!

[@DashieNegan41]

5/5 this is officially now my favourite album this month a good comeback album and a perfect return to the band.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- It's between this and the new Borknagar in terms of the top spots for this month.

[@drakoathergoth4846]

These guys and Bodom were my first exposures to extreme metal/Death Metal.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Nice!

[@Galvatron37]

Absolutely Killer album! Great review. Speaking of discography rankings...Hate Eternal??? I know you dudes love Rutan!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, at some point in the future I'd love to do a ranking for Hate Eternal.

[@docvader82]

I've never listened to these guys before. I'm not much of a core guy, but heard they're more than just core. So I checked this out, and love it.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Honestly, I don't think there's really any core left at this point. They made a hard shift to death metal with Genesis and really haven't looked back. If you dig this one I strongly recommend Sun Eater as well. They really compliment each other well.

[@docvader82]

I've skimmed that, and you're dead on. I've ordered the vinyl for moon, sun may be next. @@thrallsofmetal

[@robertsparling917]

1:18 I had to look into that crossover thrash act Belushi Speedball. They got songs based on the SpongeBob cartoon! Thanks for introducing me to Belushi Speedball (courtesy of the Full Terror Assault recap video you guys did last September!) I did a cringe meter early this month on my channel, Trolling in Paradise, ranking artists by cringe level and Belushi Speedball ended up at Cringe but Fun, near the bottom of the meter. Inquisition, on the other hand, had to be placed at PURE CRINGE, right at the top!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Why are they "cringe"?

[@robertsparling917]

@@thrallsofmetal I did the right thing putting Inquisition at "PURE CRINGE" 'cause it was a case of their frontman being the problematic person since he isn't on the registry.

[@sponsoredbymusic]

Navene and Jonny had a project way back called Fleshwrought, where Navene did all of the instruments, and Jonny was on vocals. One of my favorite albums from back in the day, and I still spin it to this day 🔥

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I have that one. Sick album. We thought about doing a retro review for that one at some point. Might have to get to that one at some point.

[@user-fq7rt3pb6u]

Amazing album. Heavy, progressive, exotic sounding metal.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I agree with you on all fronts there.

[@kevinminor2836]

I can’t wait. I have the cd but I’m waiting till I’m relaxing for the night to listen and look through the liner notes. Honestly a huge band for me, I found them when they were playing with Cattle Decap in Allentown in the late 2000s and was blown away by both, and they’ve been hugely inspirational on my music tastes and the music I write. Needless to say I’m stoked! Much love guys!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Yeah, I was pretty stoked to go over this one and it didn't disappoint in the slightest. This is a worthy sequel to what they pushed for on Sun Eater. I initially dismissed Doom but I really ended up digging Genesis a lot when it dropped. I got to see them on Sounds of the Underground in 2007 and they killed. The last time I saw them was with BTBAM and The Ocean in the 2010's and while they had some rough equipment issues they rebounded well in that set. It's just great to hear them comeback to the fold with something very inspired here.

[@BrandonM.N]

Thralls for a Cowboy!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- LOL!

[@LurchyScott]

I had high expections for this album going in and they were met 100%. Fantastic album front to back. You guys gonna go over the new Darkest Hour and Borknagar albums? Borknagar I'm assuming so because you guys love your proggy black metal lol. The new Darkest Hour is damn good as well.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I had high expectations on this one as well and it didn't let down. This is a worthy successor to Sun Eater for sure. We actually covered both Darkest Hour and Borknagar if you haven't check out the reviews yet. Sorry, it took me a bit to get to the comments.

[@SimonChinook]

Album of the year already. I love this band. Been waiting for this for ages and so chuffed they got back in the studio. Was gutted after they went on indefinite hiatus. 5/5 for me hands down. One of my all time favourite bands ever and this is probably their best LP. Genesis is my favourite, but this is a fantastic record. The flow between song is fantastic 🤘🏻🤘🏻

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- This definitely has a good shot at being on my year end list as it stands. There's still a lot of year to go but man, what a comeback.

[@AngusMacThrasherMetalReviews]

The first track has a bit of Opeth and then the album just keeps spawning and evolving. Excellent album 🤘🏿

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I can hear a bit of classic Opeth in some of the strange crawling harmonies but I like how this gets more Gorguts-ish in terms of the atmosphere and melodies. Killer stuff.

[@JustAnotherHeavyMetalManiac]

I’ll be perfect honest and say I previously wrote off Job for a Cowboy as a shitty deathcore band, but after watching Metal Meltdown review this album, I’m thinking of diving into their discography.

[@mojuy11]

Same here. Definitely going back to check out their discography

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Honestly, that stance is more common than you think. I've run into a lot of people that wrote them off after the Doom EP but came around years later when they found out they really changed their sound after that. Honestly, if you dug this one then I'd work your way backwards through their discography because the album before this one really sets the groundwork for this one's sound.

[@badash1738]

If you listen carefully to the very beginning of the first song beyond the chemical doorway, there is a pitch that climbs...it is what people hear before they blast off on psychedelics adventure! Fucking love it!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Shit. I didn't notice that and I've definitely pried open my cosmic third eye a lot over the years lol.

[@MoSweiti666]

This band amazingly pulled off making their comeback album worth the 10 year wait. I think if you put Sun Eater and Demonocracy in a blender and add a bit of DMT, you get Moon Healer. It's only 39 minutes, but my God, what an experience! So much is jammed and packed on this album, I discover a lot of new things every time I listen to it. The sound and mix is really attractive and captivating it keeps dragging me in to listen to it over and over. This album's brilliant front to back and probably their best to date. It's at my #1 spot this year so far. Gonna be really difficult to top this in the realm of tech death this year.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I was curious to see where they'd go with this but once I heard one of the singles and saw the album title I was definitely preparing myself for a sequel to Sun Eater. Sun Eater really pushed their creativity and I'm glad to hear that wasn't abandoned and in some cases even expanded upon. I'm still stuck listening to it on a stream but when my CD gets here I'm going to give it a lot more spins in the car. Some long night drives are in order for this one I think lol. I'd say this has a holding spot on my year end list so far but there's a ton of year to go still.

[@mojuy11]

Wow never gave JFAC a shot for some reason but this thing is absolutely stunning. Perfect balance of proggy/techy and death with some great leads. I gotta check out Sun Eater from what I hear too! Stacked weekend with Borknagar and Morta Skuld as well

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I think there's a lot of people that dismissed Job for Cowboy awhile ago namely because they got lumped in with the deathcore crowd but honestly that deathcore phase was just that first Doom EP. Everything else has been solid death metal and been really evolving over all their albums. These last 2 have been amazing in terms of really embracing this proggy turn while still retaining that brutal edge. Morta Skuld is up next so stay tuned.

[@mojuy11]

@@thrallsofmetal nice just about to jam that one and make my opinions before your review. Riffs were sick on the singles

[@specialed.2461]

I hear you. Sometimes a good chug needs to be left alone. Everytime a band decides to be clever and interrupt their groove, that's exactly what they end up doing; interrupting their groove.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I got a bit of that on hear but for the most part those spiraling, twisting riffs add a lot to their sound and don't come across as too jarring.

[@darksideinferno3454]

The next thing i have to do is listen to that fucking Album! Fantastic Review as always!! 💀🤘💀🤘💀🤘

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man!

[@ProfJasonC]

Man, these guys really give Baroness a run for their money in terms of lurid album art

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, the album art on here is wild as hell. I dig it.

[@Assimilator702]

On a 10 point scale, I would give it a 9.8 and only because it should and COULD be a bit longer BECAUSE I NEVER not ONCE in the 39 min run time does it ever sound over stimulating ir grating, which is quite a feat for a Tech Death band. In my 3 full spins of this masterpiece, I was shocked every time I reached the last track!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Honestly, with as busy as this album is I kinda like the under 40 min runtime and that gives me more time for more complete listens. That more atmospheric, technical sound appeals to me more than the standard tech wankery. It's more about creating moods and textures with the music and less about showing off. I'm still waiting on my CD copy to get her but I'm definitely going to jam it more in the future.

[@cbn6635]

I'm one of those guilty of dismissing this band completely because of their deathcore past (shoot me); I guess I have to overcome my (unjust?) reluctance against JFAC and check this one out. The comparison to Cynic/Atheist (two of my favorite bands ever) made me take notice. Interesting review, guys! 👍

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man! Hey, I think a lot of people did and to a degree, if the first EP was all they heard, they I get it. By the time I saw them live they were a full on death metal act so I kinda dismissed the deathcore stuff. These last 2 albums have been some of their best material though and if you're a big progressive death metal fan in general I think you'll dig this.

[@cbn6635]

@@thrallsofmetal Well, my AOTY 2023 was Alkaloid 'Numen', so.. 🤗 Speaking of Alkaloid, drummer Hannes Grossmann just released an EP called 'Echoes of Eternity', and it is really almost like Necrophagist 2.0 at times! This dude has a knack for composing, playing and producing some of the best progressive/technical death metal out there! Hoping for a Thralls of Metal review of that one at some point.. 🙏😉

[@32FONickweiser]

Bought it at a record store today and i was blown away. Fucking awesome!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- None of my record stores had it in sadly so I had to order it. Now we play the waiting game lol.

[@32FONickweiser]

@@thrallsofmetal damn hahha. Yeah, there is only 1 record store within 50 miles of me and i gotta give it to the shop. They have a METAL section. NOT /Metal/Rock. Just Metal. They even carry some of our hometown bands like Nucleus and Cardiac Arrest. If you're ever in IL i highly recommend Rolling Stone Records!

[@evilone1079]

I listened to this album 4 times today! It’s fantastic! 8.5/10

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I'm still on my 3rd run through of it and it's still amazing.

[@evilone1079]

@@thrallsofmetal Hell yeah!

[@mikepenny8940]

Im aware of this band. Ive just never listened to them. Ill give this one a spin. I still gotta go check out some bands from Nics last collection update

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I think a lot of people overlooked them since they got lumped in with the deathcore pack years ago but they've evolved so far from that over the years.

[@ScrilboBaggins]

Damn this album rules

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Agreed.

[@BEHOLD.TOTAL.ANNIHILATION]

Hails from Maryland currently

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Hails, man!

[@BEHOLD.TOTAL.ANNIHILATION]

@@thrallsofmetal 🤘

[@KevinTarrant-by3fi]

Just got finished with this one finally boys and it's a pretty solid release! 4 of 5 from me!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks

[@KevinTarrant-by3fi]

@@thrallsofmetal anytime brother here in a few minutes I'm gonna blast the Aborted release.

[@molotovbatradio]

🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Thanks, man!

[@jrottendevil]

Will definitely be listening to this while I work later. After the new Sleepytime Gorilla Museum album.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, we're still deciding if we're going to do a full on review of Sleepytime Gorilla Museum. We might if we have time since I love how gloriously strange that band is.

[@andrewmurray6079]

Absolutely love this album! Just as good as Genesis and Ruination imo.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Agreed. I'm not sure where it falls overall in the discography but it's near the top for sure.

[@andrewmurray6079]

@thrallsofmetal yeah its a hard one to call but it definitely belongs in the upper echelon of their records I think 🤔

[@spencergrady5501]

Still don't get the band's name? Sounds like a great record though. Need to check it out.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I've never been a fan of the name but I guess they're stuck with it. Either way, the music is killer.

[@Drilbur718]

I kinda skipped these guys since I didn't like the Doom EP but I've heard a lot of praise for Sun Eater and this latest album so I'm thinking of giving them another shot. That album cover is awesome.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Trust me, this (and the bulk of their discography) is nothing like Doom. This band has changed a lot over the years.

[@alexperry4691]

Ive never really listened to this band, mainly cos i always thought that their name was silly lol...This sounds interesting tho, and im glad they moved on from the deathcore thing...Any chance of a borknager review? Their new one is excellent!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I mean, the name is silly and I don't think it ever had an seriousness attached to it but they've constantly kept evolving their sound. They're so far removed from deathcore now and honestly haven't been a deathcore act since the Doom EP. Yeah, I thought Borknagar was coming out in March so that was an oversight on my part. We'll cover it though in this batch for sure.

[@JFinch-gk3si]

It’s going to be very hard to top this album this year, because this is a masterclass in metal

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- As it stands I'd say it's already got a spot on my year end list but there's still a lot of year to go.

[@JFinch-gk3si]

Agreed, still a LOT of year to go (High on Fire on the horizon) but I have a distinct feeling this will end up as, minimum, top 5 in my year end list. If it doesn’t, that means 2024 assaulted my senses

[@ShapeshifteR-TheAnomalyGameCat]

The psychedelic album cover gives me some serious Zelda Majora's Mask vibes

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I've been seeing that comparison made a lot here lately and I can kinda see it especially with the ominous, evil moon looming overhead on the cover.

[@ShapeshifteR-TheAnomalyGameCat]

@@thrallsofmetal The purple overtones and that red tentacle multi-eyed thing contribute to that association as well i think

[@Caitlin939Cow]

Ophanim is type of angel I believe

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I suppose that would probably make sense in the lyrical themes a bit.

[@mindful2864]

This new Job for a Cowboy album is really good. It's a potential candidate for album of the year. I hold a lot of respect for these guys since I got into them in high school and helped me explore the realms of extreme metal. They did start off as deathcore on Doom, but I didn't mind since they were one of the originators, even if they did spawn a lot of copycats that were nowhere near as good. Genesis was an amazing straightforward death metal album. Ruination was even better and incorporated more tech death elements and they kept expanding on that with Demonocracy and Sun Eater. This album; like Sun Eater has lots of Obscura and Beyond Creation influences on here.

[@Assimilator702]

I do not see any band releasing any material that will top Moon Healer in 2024. I guarantee there are dozens of bands that are RUNNING to rework material that doesn't even come close to matching Moon Healer!

[@mindful2864]

@@Assimilator702 I completely agree, so far it’s my favorite album of the year. It’s going to be difficult to top it.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, I'd say this one has a holding place on my year end list so far but there's also a lot of year to go so I'm not calling "AOTY" just yet. I didn't get into them until Genesis was released. I kinda skipped over Doom until I had jammed Genesis and by the time I heard Doom I really wasn't that impressed with it. They really kept evolving at a steady pace but when Sun Eater dropped it was like they were an entirely different animal. This proggy course they plotted has been some of their best material in my mind.

[@scottwilson8698]

I hate core shit so much that, left to my own devices, I would never give this a try... But, goddamnit... you're talking me into it. haha!

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Trust me when I say any of their core elements were left behind on that first EP. Everything they've done since their debut has been death metal and has been constantly moving in the direction of progressive death metal. If you dig this then definitely work your way backwards through their discography.

[@ProfJasonC]

I've been totally sleeping on this band (I think maybe I found their name offputting, which is a stupid reason not to check them out, but what can you do), but now have listened to the new record and Sun Eater several times. To name-check another band whose last record got a really warm reception, does anyone else feel like these guys have a lot in common with Horrendous?

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Honestly, I think a lot of people did for various reasons. I think a lot of people dismissed them with their name or the fact they got lumped in the deathcore pack early on. I think this time off as has given them a fresh start and again further distances themselves from the deathcore pack. I love Horrendous but I think they're a different kind of progressive death metal. They have a way more 90's sound versus Job for a Cowboy been more modern. Either way they're both killer.

[@ProfJasonC]

@@thrallsofmetalAll good points. Anything that keeps the proggy/psychedelic/tech-death metal coming is fine by me.

[@michaelfishman6711]

This is possibly there best album yet it slams

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I'd have to agree.

[@docvader82]

They were hated for using the net/social media? How hilarious that seems now. I'm 52, I've seen many a change over the years. And how often are the first ones to explore a new path shit on? Aplenty.

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Yeah, it was back in the MySpace days in the mid-2000's and the notion of a band using that platform to promote their music seemed to irk some people. I still don't get it but yeah generally the early pioneers of an idea are the ones that get shit on and then eventually proven right.

[@nickreid5939]

Sounds like Slice The Cake and Cynic

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- I definitely got some Cynic vibes but I'm unfamiliar with Slice the Cake honestly.

[@Count_Deangeli]

I still hear the deathcore in it, I'll pass on that one, plenty of other great releases

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- To each their own. This last week was loaded with some bangers for sure.

[@mikepenny8940]

I gave it a listen and I couldn't get all the way thru it. I appreciate the musician ship on it but it did nothing for me

[@thrallsofmetal]

Necrotic Nick- Hey, you gave it a try though.