The Atlas moth is considered the largest of its kind on earth. Like their lepidopteran namesake, Chicago stoner/doom band the Atlas Moth are sonically gargantuan. The duality of vocalists Stavros Giannopoulos and David Kush brings a lush fullness to the band with layered clean/screamed vocal melodies. The Atlas Moth’s music is intense, in the best possible use of the word. Their riffs are searing and forceful, taking the listener hostage.
They get compared to Neurosis, but I hear more of a resemblance to newer bands like Pallbearer and Horseback. Their latest album, The Old Believer, came out last month on Profound Lore. The cover art contains an extremely pale woman with white hair surrounded by a vast white background. An insert of the cover art comes with the album. The insert can be held under water, and when done so, changes the pale woman and the vacuum of whiteness into a black and red demon.
Atlas Moth
Despite being a band for seven years, the Atlas Moth have only played Memphis twice, with the most recent being in 2011 with Howl at the Hi-Tone.
Tour mates SubRosa, a Salt Lake City doom metal band, features three female vocalists — two of whom play violin. Their most recent album, More Constant Than the Gods, came out last fall on Profound Lore. Fans of U.S. Christmas and Kylesa should take note.
Rounding out Tuesday’s bill is Little Rock’s Crankbait. The sludge band formed in 1993 and broke up around 1997, making them the veterans on this bill by more than 10 years. They started playing shows again in 2009. Their record, A New Low, came out last year.
