The bad news: Soup Moat has called it quits and Milwaukee is now left without one of its best projects of the past 10 years. The good news: Even though the band—which found its footing with 2018’s Harvester Of Likes and really hit its stride in 2020 with the remarkable Be Brave, Run Away full-length—has come to an unceremonious end, the self-described purveyors of “heavy, silly sludge” saw fit to leave listeners with a parting gift in the form of a posthumous release.
That swan song is actually four songs, which compose a self-titled EP that builds on the sound of its big, bold predecessor and sees Soup Moat breaking new sonic ground as well before calling it a day. Over a span of 16 minutes, the quartet hurtles into action with a wall of squealing guitars and bellowed melodies in standout EP opener “Sports Depressed” (which concludes with an…odd cameo from a former Wisconsin politician, too). The crunchy, abrasive, and upbeat “Big Pink” follows, then gives way to the stoner rock heaviness along with the rambunctious riffs and rhythms of “Reptile Dysfunction.” Finally, “Totally Emotional (Hale Bop)” ushers in a commendable conclusion for the band with more than five minutes of gang vocals and instrumental intricacy that both serve to showcase just how far Soup Moat has come and how much the project has evolved over the course of the last decade.
On a song-by-song basis, Soup Moat—which was recorded by Shane Hochstetler at Howl Street Recordings and mastered by Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering—might very well be the band’s best release from top to bottom. It’s at least in the conversation. Whether or not they saved the best for last, Soup Moat surely does not go quietly with its self-titled EP. The release, which comes out November 24, is currently available for pre-order on CD from Triple Eye Industries. Rushmor Records will also have some Soup Moat CDs available for purchase on Black Friday.
So long, Soup Moat. Thanks for all the tunes.