Review: Megosh – Apostasy

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Artist: Megosh
Album: Apostasy
Rating: 10/10

In a world that is being distracted by technology, fascinated by the most ridiculous trends the music world has to offer, there is Megosh. Hailing from Baltimore, MD, these 3 individuals love the old-school approach to what they do, having built their fanbase almost entirely from word of mouth. Signed to Revival Recordings in May of 2013, Shawn Milke (also of Alesana) clearly knew that they had what it takes to make an impact. With the release of their label debut EP, Body Works, they introduced the world to a truly unique sound. Blending an atmospheric, dark pop-like sound with elements of alternative rock/metal while keeping a post-progressive edge, you’ve never heard anything like them. The band took their time to hone their art, mature with their sound and bring fans the absolute best that they could. It wasn’t long after the band finished their debut, full-length album, Apostasy that they signed a deal in a newly-formed partnership between Outerloop Records and Cooking Vinyl.

Apostasy is a testament to just how talented these 4 individuals are. You’ll find it bone-chilling, enthralling and absolutely entrancing with every second that passes into your ears. I found it fairly interesting, as well, that they’ve got a lot of southern vibe to them, despite them being from the north. Vocalist Josh Grosscup has an incredible range, fluidly moving from soaring high, raspy vocals to a quiet, almost whisper-like register. Their use of electronics to accentuate their music, rather than overpower it, is something that I admire as well. There are plenty of switch-ups to tempo and time-signatures that are immediately noticeable throughout each track, giving you the feel of musical inception (multiple tracks within a track.) Listening to this album, you’ll hear a lot of allusions to the more sensual sides of a relationship but the meanings of each song are left up to interpretation and can be tackled from many different angles, giving the listener a fun experience, should they decide to dive into it enough. The album’s lead single, “I Stole From the Dead” is a rare example where you get a pre-cursor to an album that is fairly accurate. This track grooves, soars and pounds its way through the listener’s ears and is a wonderful example of how diverse the band can get. While the album never really gets “heavy” in the sense that others may look at it, it does have its moments, as the band exhibits a lot of characteristics, musically, that post-hardcore bands are known for. In the softer tracks, like “Buffalo!” for example, that have a primarily acoustic front to them, have a bluesy feel and really bring out the emotion in the lyrics. The album ends on a more aggressive note with “War Drums” which is another one of my favorite tracks due to the way it builds up and explodes. The instrumentals on this track are insane but I wouldn’t recommend going straight to it (though there’s a fun little jam at the end).

Apostasy is one of those rare albums where no 2 tracks sound the same, each track is easily accessible to anyone who picks it up and every one of the 14 songs are single material BUT.. it isn’t an album that is MADE UP of singles. I strongly urge you to get lost in the strange and wonderful world that is Megosh‘s music by picking up Apostasy, out December 16th via Outerloop Records/Cooking Vinyl. You can pick up a number of pre-order options by checking out the links below.

Pre-Order Apostasy

“Desperada” (Official Lyric Video)

“I Stole from the Dead” (Official Lyric Video)

Megosh on Social Media:
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram

Megosh is:
Josh Grosscup – Vocals/Guitar
Finch Flores – Guitar/Vocals
Derv Polimene – Bass