Arizona’s Job for a Cowboy garnered significant buzz and division within the metal realms when they dropped their 2005 debut EP, Doom. The brawny slab of deathcore impressed those inclined, before gradually transitioning into a modern death metal act with tech leanings, largely dispensing with the core influences. Fairly nonplussed by the band’s earlier material, Job for a Cowboy’s pivoting career trajectory blindsided me on fourth LP, Sun Eater, released nearly a decade ago. Signature technical proficiency, testosterone-charged aggression, and bludgeoning, slickly produced modern death remained, however, the unexpected integration of progressive structures and complex compositions, offering a hefty thump of aggression and brutality, largely impressed. Life events, other projects, and happenings occurred, and Job for a Cowboy went dormant on the recording front. Now fifth album Moon Healer comes locked and loaded.
Stylistically, Moon Healer shares common ground and sounds like the logical continuation of the conceptual and musical groundwork laid by its well-received predecessor, ticking a number of boxes for enthusiasts of modern, rugged prog-death. The intervening years have failed to dull Job for a Cowboy’s free-spirited willingness to contort and challenge their formula, consolidating their commitment to double down on the prog, without neutering the death component. Line-up-wise things have stayed pretty steady, with longtime servant Jonny Davy, providing an appealing, versatile array of vital, seething growls, snarls, and screams, and guitarist Alan Glassman, joined by fellow axeslinger Tony Sannicandro and new drummer Navene Koperweis (Entheos). Meanwhile, the attention-grabbing basslines and tasty, funk-infused melodic counterpoints of the gifted Nick Schendzielos are again on glorious display.
Job for a Cowboy sound more comfortable in their skin, showcasing a desire to expand boundaries while staying true to their toothier, brutal roots. Never short on blastier segments and all-out aggression, Moon Healer also boasts a weighty swagger and sense of groove through varied, non-conventional but cohesive arrangements, effortlessly tinkering and shifting tempos without meandering into empty spaces of tired noodling or self-indulgent wankery. There is extravagant shred aplenty, as frantic, tech-death encrusted cuts like “The Agony Seeping Storm” attest, but the sparkling leads and shredding goodness are complimented by punchy, headbangable death riffs and melodic nuance to keep things grounded. Elsewhere, rugged opener, “Beyond the Chemical Doorway,” builds mood effectively, before unleashing a knotty, memorable central groove. Intricate instrumental passages, tricky rhythms, and further twists unfurl, all while retaining a catchy streak. Cyclonic bursts of aggro give way to walloping mid-paced beatdowns and shimmering, colorful leads on the vaguely blackened “Into the Crystalline Crypts.”
Job for a Cowboy’s supreme instrumental prowess and chemistry shine brightly. Though Moon Healer is a knottier, less immediate adventure than Sun Eater, the subtle hooks and showstopping leads, basslines, and beefy riffs lend a catchy flow, despite the non-traditional nature of the song structures. Fat content is kept to a minimum, preferring efficient, compactly crafted songs and a runtime clocking in under the 40-minute mark. Exceptions include the swarming tech aggression of “Grinding Wheels of Ophanim” and multi-faceted juggernaut, “The Forever Rot,” a forever twisting, bombastic, and gripping endeavor. Moon Healer hits the mark consistently, devoid of duds or filler, though inevitably some of the songs cut deeper on a memorable and emotional scale than others. Unfortunately, while the mix and chunky tones are solid, a compressed mastering job fails to do full justice or provide the ample breathing room these expansive songs deserve. Nagging remnants of less remarkable, overly slick modern trappings in the production, vocals and writing occasionally grate (see “The Sun Gave Me Ashes so I Sought out the Moon”) and will likely deter traditionalist death and prog death enthusiasts.
Maturity and evolution pop into the brain when analyzing Job for a Cowboy’s intriguing career path. The decision to stray from the deathcore and straightforward modern death pathways has allowed Job for a Cowboy to reach their potential, integrating their personality traits to separate them from the more retro trending flair of like-minded modern prog-death acts. Moon Healer took its time to sink its teeth in and reveal its true substance and elusive hooks. The more time I’ve spent with the album I have come to appreciate and deeply respect what the band have conjured here. Moon Healer clearly outlays Job for a Cowboy’s impressive songwriting skillset, excellent musicianship and commitment to progressive death, marking a triumphant return from the reinvented one-time whipping boys.
Rating: 3.5/5.0
DR: 5 | Format Reviewed: 320 kbps mp3
Label: Metal Blade Records
Websites: jobforacowboy.bandcamp.com | facebook.com/jobforacowboy
Releases Worldwide: February 23rd, 2024
