Doom Side of the Moon – “Encore” [EP] [Album Review]

Following the resounding success of 2017’s Doom Side of the Moon, which entered into the Billboard Top 200 at a more than respectable #81, Kyle Shutt (of The Sword fame), returns to the world of Pink Floyd with a follow-up EP, rightly titled Encore. In my review for the full-length that saw release last year, I concluded that the record was good fun, but didn’t do too much to differentiate itself from Pink Floyd’s original Dark Side of the Moon:

“Doom Side of the Moon is good fun and everyone performs well, but it is just a slightly heavier version of the original. It would have been great if the album was heavier, moving away that little bit more from the Pink Floyd original.”

I’m glad to say that this time around, things are a little different. The mix is heavier, the drums are bolder and the vocals are stronger, with more variation than a straight effort to recapture Pink Floyd’s sound. Kyle Shutt reunites with his band of like-minded doom enthusiasts, and they show a renewed energy that’s partially down to a fantastic track selection. “Have a Cigar”, “Pigs (Three Different Ones)” and “Wish You Were Here” are all brilliant tracks in their own right, but given the doom treatment they have been given a new lease on life. The riffs are heavy, the tracks are great fun and the whole thing flows so effortlessly together that you won’t realise when one track melts into the next. Plus, who can say no to listening to “Wish You Were Here” just one more time anyway? It’s a timeless song of pure emotion and class.

Doom Side of the Moon’s Encore EP is stronger overall than the band’s full-length re-telling of their namesake. They have done more with the doom side; it now feels as exciting to listen to this as it does the original Pink Floyd stuff – a bold statement, perhaps, but justified in this writer’s ears. The good thing is, there is plenty of Pink Floyd that Kyle Shutt and Doom Side of the Moon haven’t covered yet, and I hope they do come back with more after this impressive showing.

Encore Track Listing:

01. Have a Cigar
02. Pigs (Three Different Ones)
03. Wish You Were Here

Run Time: 17:07
Release Date: January 12, 2018

Check out the animated video for “Have a Cigar”.