Set up and driven by Mark Sayle and Phil Reynolds Mark E Moon is hailing from the Isle Of Man. After having released an impressive debut-album “Refer” in 2019 they two years later confirmed their strong potential by the opus “Old Blood”. The band is clearly driven by good-old Dark-Wave and Post-Punk reminding legendary acts like The Sisters Of Mercy, Bauhaus, Joy Division and The Mission. The work appears to be an engaging album about the human condition and the fight against fascism, which stands for the title “Old Blood”. The title track “Old Blood” deals with this sea of right wing populism, white supremacy and outright fascism that has swept the western world, washing over some and sweeping away others in its spiteful currents. The incident that ignited the touch paper for me was the events in Charlottesville and the murder of Heather Heyer in 2017. The slogans chanted by the Neo-Nazis became a festering sore in my soul that wouldn’t go away. The only way I have to react to something like that is through music and my lyrics, so that is, eventually, what I did.
Mark E Moon didn’t change a successful formula, but clearly remains a band devoted to the 80s Cold-Wave style. They perfectly know how to bring this dark era back to life. The guitar playing, by its typical mewing and melancholic sound brings these memories alive. The songs have been accomplished by electronic arrangements, which are often injecting a melodic and heavenly final touch to the composition. The production of the vocals has this deep timbre, which is perfectly matching with the music. I didn’t get a similar surprising effect as for the debut album, but Mark E Moon remains a great ambassador of contemporary Cold-Wave music.