Into The Moat - 'The Campaign'

The Campaign doesn’t re-invent the mathcore genre, but provides an engaging listen from start to finish.

Into The Moat’s sophomore album The Campaign is straight-forward mathcore, with a technical twist. A concept album based on the subject of war, The Campaign is full of moments that will leave the listener enthralled, whether it’s a jazzy interlude or a brutal breakdown. The eight tracks are jam-packed with content, giving the listener a lot to soak in on the first listen. This makes repeated plays a necessary requirement for maximum enjoyment.

The Campaign has a few tracks clocking in at over the seven minute mark, and these songs are where Into The Moat experiment with their songwriting. “Advocate v Activist” and closer “The Hermit” show the band utilizing multi-tracked guitars and clean, atmospheric pieces. There are shorter numbers like “The Siege Of Orleans” and “From 1,000 Meters” structured in the vein of Dillinger Escape Plan and Converge.

The vocals are mostly vicious screams, which suit the music well. The rhythm section is very strong, with the drums being the highlight of the album. Matt Gossman destroys his kit with furious double bass and insane fills that can only be described as controlled chaos in its purest form.

The Campaign isn’t a long album, but some songs tend to plod along, with no clear direction. Some of it was written on the spot during jam sessions, and it shows at points. “Law Of Conservation” is most guilty of this flaw, as it lumbers along with no clear intention the majority of the running length.

Into The Moat are great musicians, making The Campaign more intriguing than it initially appears to be. Mathcore is a genre that has been done to death, and the band doesn’t change the formula up, but with well-placed melodic sections and an interesting concept, Into The Moat avoids the sophomore curse.