Into The Moat Means By Which The End Is Justified

I think the state of Florida could be some sort of different musical world. As far as underground music goes, some of the most popular and influential bands were born in the Sunshine State. The year 2003 has seen Into The Moat emerge from the borders of Florida, as they try to make their mark on heavy music. “Means by Which the End is Justified” is a six-song effort, which is also their first release by a label. And in case you haven’t heard of Into The Moat yet, they play a very lethal combination of tech and death metal. And while on this EP there is an enormous Dillinger Escape Plan influence, ITM show they can be more than a failed copy. By the way, most of these guys haven’t reached the age of 20 yet. Upon first listen, I was immediately struck with Dillinger sound. Even the tones of the drums and guitars are very similar. These six songs are just all over the place; moving in directions that I didn’t know existed. However, Into The Moat make a valiant effort to be more than a Dillinger Escape Plan rip-off. My favorite aspect of this EP is the death metal influence, because I think it goes so far in making these songs deeper. I especially like said influence in the song “Demise,” which features Mean Pete, from Remembering Never and Until The End, on guest vocals. At times, the music calms down from its hyperactivity and mellows with some acoustic interludes, which is a nice touch. Then there are the random mosh-pit breakdowns, but in true technical fashion, Into The Moat does their best to make these breakdowns off-timed. Which brings me to my next point. The one thing brings this EP down for me, is how hard Into The Moat seems to try. Rather than letting the songs do the work, at times some riffs and/or beats sound really forced, as if they are trying to make them too technical. Luckily, these moments aren’t too often, as most of the songs are seamless. This production is excellent, as are most efforts I’ve heard from Jeremy Staska at Studio 13. The tones are higher, in the vein of DEP (surprise, surprise), but the vocal production is much different. Earl Ruwell has a hell of a voice, and a great range, from manic, high-pitched screams to low-end death metal roars. Bottom Line: While “Means By Which the End is Justified” is a release of musical influences, it is more original than about 70% of the stuff I hear these days. Given their young age, Into The Moat has time on their side. This isn’t a record I can listen to all the time, but it’s definitely worth checking out. I would love to hear these guys explore more of their death metal influences, because I think it would do more to set them apart. If they did, and with enough practice and time, they could join the ranks of death metal’s most technical, and most competent.