Sumac and Moor Mother - The Film (Album Review)

Photo: Paulo Gonzales

A collision of sludge-metal, spoken word, rap and free jazz, ‘The Film’ is that rarest of things — a genuinely new sonic fusion. But we have come to expect nothing less from its creators. Post-metal trio Sumac are at the vanguard of heavy innovation, while the work of brilliant MC Moor Mother confronts complex subject matter head on.

The pair’s first collaborative album fuses their avant-garde idiosyncrasies with spectacular aplomb. A bold, brave and challenging collection, its eight tracks are as cerebrally resonant as they are emotionally satisfying. 

Each one journeys on a wholly different path, following a loose, overarching narrative that builds to an extraordinary climax.

Given the versatile nature of Moor Mother’s previous collaborations (such as albums with rapper billy woods and electronica project 700 Bliss), it’s little wonder she takes to this new challenge with seemingly effortless ease. 

On Scene 3 she rides Sumac’s groove with swaggering skill, while Scene 4 finds her matching the band’s musical tension with some mesmerising vocal dexterity. Closing track Scene 5: Breathing Fire is the LP’s apocalyptic highlight. 

The first half is as compelling as any ‘heavy’ track released this year, its ascending, titanic riffs into heading off into space backed by Moor Mother’s musings on humanity’s wanton urge for self-destruction. Its back half is equally stunning; a new world of serenity, built on complicated “memories from planet Earth”.

A top-to-bottom success, this is music that astounds on both visceral and intellectual levels. Moor Mother’s lyrics on contemporary human cruelty aim straight for the jugular, as do Sumac’s scorchingly unique compositions. ‘The Film’ is an expressive, vivid work of experimental art.

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