Moon Unit – Differences in Language and Lifestyle
Release Date: 27th August 2021
Label: Independent
Bandcamp
Genre: Prog Rock
FFO: Rush, Dream Theater, Run The Jewels, Ozric Tentacles, Moron Police, Koji Kondo.
Review By: Séamus Patrick Burke
Prog rock is broadly defined by its grand scale and epic scope, but in fact there are several different flavors of prog. You have the kind that’s defined by detailed concepts and multi-part suites, or the kind that’s defined by elaborate production or intricate songwriting. The most prominent prog pioneers (Rush, Dream Theater, Yes) would dip in and out of these two modes, depending on the album or even the song.
But there’s a third kind of prog that’s more difficult to nail down: the kind that is balls-to-the-wall insane. The kind that throws every production technique or musical idea against the wall to see if it sticks. Bands with this approach are more difficult to categorize. Most of them wouldn’t even be considered prog in the strictest sense. Moron Police are probably a good modern example. Queen could get there, balancing epic rocking with showtunes. Brian Wilson’s elaborate production for The Beach Boys had the intricacy and experimentation of prog. Frank Zappa would create complex symphonies or program intricate beats, then give them titles like “G-Spot Tornado”.
This is the position we find ourselves in when talking about Differences in Language & Lifestyle, the debut album by Croatian band Moon Unit. Singles feature titles like “Velocirapture”, and the song “Tuesday” opens with Raul Julia’s famous “For Me, It Was Tuesday” speech from the Street Fighter movie. The bridge of “Splitting Hares” ends with an honest-to-God Wilhelm scream. The band’s own website describes themselves as, “Dedicated to reckless exploration of uncharted territories by fusing various influences and genres into original sounding pieces.” Moon Unit has certainly accomplished that. But how does it hold all together as an album?
The basics of prog are all in place: heavy guitars, sharp drumming, glistening synth parts, etc. Lead vocalist Mikhail Burek has a bright, clear register that serves him well on singles like “Ensign 4 Life”. Attempts to sound guttural fall flat though. The distortion is cranked so high on those parts, he sounds like Lemmy trapped down a well.
Despite its ridiculous title, “Velocirapture” comes roaring out of the gate, blending rock riffs with spacious house chords. One is reminded of Ozric Tentacles, the long-running jazz fusion outfit that weren’t afraid to merge rock with dance music. Kind of an obscure reference, but a band like Moon Unit would probably take it as a compliment.
Differences in Language & Style doesn’t suffer from a shortage of ideas, but it may buckle a bit from trying to include too many. Croatian emcee/producer Tone Tuoro is featured on three songs, and Peter Grgeč is featured on “Tiny Hands”. “Eel Shepherd” really runs with the house influence. Both dance music and hip-hop are huge in Croatia, so neither of these things are surprising. Mihovil himself does plenty of rapping on half the album. But then you get things that don’t completely work, like the weak stab at reggae that is “Grob Marley”.
The main flaw with Differences in Language & Style is that its ambition means it has an inconsistent tone. It takes a while to realize what’s a piss-take and what isn’t. It feels like Moon Unit has something more gradiose to convey, but it’s hard to take that seriously when songs are punctuated by literal cartoon sound effects or have titles like “Motorized Frog Squad”.
If the band was all jokes and satire, that’d be one thing. As it is, it’s hard to parse what exactly they’re going for. Is it prog metal? Rap metal? Dance music? Hip-hop? Funny? Serious? All of the above?
Moon Unit definitely keep you on your toes and have the chops to show they’re the real deal. Far be it from us to knock a band who has a lot to offer versus too little. But if you try to break the mold, don’t be surprised if you have a bunch of random pieces lying around afterward. 
(3 / 5)
