Children of the Moon

When State Faults reemerged in 2019 after a five year hiatus (years they spent playing with their indie-punk side project Slow Bloom), they burst back onto the scene with their third full-length LP “Clairvoyant” in hand. The album’s subsequent success saw the band touring extensively across North America and Europe in the latter half of the year. With a renewed sense of maturity and focus, each member was eager to seize the momentum in 2020. Then the world shut down. Forced to cancel their spring and summer tours, State Faults embraced the post-pandemic landscape by immersing themselves in fresh material. After a year of intensive writing, they teamed up with producer Chris Teti (The World Is A Beautiful Place…) in Burlington, Connecticut to craft their fourth studio album, “Children of the Moon.” With the world still largely shut down, the band would spend the next several years biding their time, navigating numerous post production delays, financial hardships, personal misfortune and a near break-up before finally finding the right opportunity to present the album to the world. Pushing the boundaries of the screamo genre, COTM sees the band exhibiting their creative evolution with each track on the album. Lush string arrangements of the opener, “Blood Moon,” seamlessly delivers a blend heavy riffs and melodic precision. “Palo Santo” continues with infectious hooks and a rare showcase of Jonny Andrew's singing amidst his signature screams, while “Heat Death” and “Divination” showcase the band at their heaviest. Midway through, the band ventures into uncharted territory with the ambitious 10-minute prog/screamo odyssey, “No Gospel.” The song features psychedelic guitar work, danceable drum and bass rhythms, and a downtempo second half immersed in spaced-out drones and reverb-soaked vocals. The album concludes with the post-rock closer, “Bodega Head,” an intricately arranged ballad that builds from gentle acoustic guitar to a crescendo of haunting strings, galloping drums, and a soaring electric guitar solo. State Faults sounds as massive as ever here and “Children of the Moon” stands as a testament to band brimming with creative energy.