Matt Garfield, the one-man-show behind Mose Giganticus, likes to think big. “The Invisible Hand,” MG’s 2006 debut, was a concept album exploring our society’s relationship with technology. “Commander!,” MG’s 2008 EP, was a 5-track electro-metal tribute to the legacy of ***Nikola Tesla. “Gift Horse,” Mose Giganticus’ debut full-length with Relapse records, is a concept album detailing the expulsion of Lucifer from the heavens due to his punk rock charisma and the subsequent posturing and back-and-forth trash-talking between Lucifer and a vengeful God in the tense prelude to the invasion of heaven. Garfield accomplishes this as the sole constant member of Mose Giganticus. He composes all the music and lyrics and lays down the unique mish-mash of metal guitars, weird synthesizer, drums, and vocoder. Yes, vocoder. It’s an interesting sound. See — big thinking.
“Gift Horse” begins with the angry boasts of a sadistic, arrogant God with Last Resort. MG does a good job of creating the formidable image of a bombastic ruler mocking his cowering subjects and boasting his might. Enter Lucifer. Left Path introduces the rebellious protagonist with a synth-heavy slow metal groove with some vocoder backing. He won’t be “painted the fool,” so he fights the power and challenges his God (who’s kind of a dick). He gets banished for his pride, and agonizes in exile on Days of Yore, a slower, moodier piece that puts us in Lucifer’s head as he yearns for home.
Lucifer begins recruiting an army for the war against heaven on The Great Deceiver. God replies by flexing his muscles yet again and reminding all who will listen that those who trust in him will be spared on White Horse. The Seventh Seal closes the narrative, with Lucifer lamenting one final time how he’s been unfairly booted from his home after his trust had been betrayed by a violent king who promised protection and salvation but broke those promises. For all of us who know this familiar story, Lucifer will go on to make unsuccessful war on heaven and inspire some very silly music in Norway.
“Gift Horse” is “Paradise Lost” remade as a metal B-movie. A dark, stylish B-movie like “King of New York” or “The Prophecy.” MG takes a timeless theme and introduces a tense revenge-story aesthetic that keeps the pace fit for one-shot listening (and reefer smoking). While Milton used Lucifer as a mouthpiece for radical and Romantic ideals, Giganticus uses him as an avatar for all the mixed-up outcast rebel metal and punk kids who will likely wind up digging this album.
Of course, with the potential breadth of such a subject, a bit more substance would have been appropriate. “Gift Horse” is comprised of only 7 songs, spanning less than 30 mins. But I dig it — the length was the only problem I had. (Dick Joke goes here). For a “debut,” it’s a decent effort. It’s an odd, cool, fun, interesting little album. Definitely worth a listen.
***I have since been informed that he is not the guy who sang Modern Day Cowboy and covered Signs. –D
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