There are times when a completely unknown album comes completely out of left field and hits you squarely between the eyes as you just were not expecting it… 2nd Iteration by MoleStar is just one such album. It is very probable that most reading this review have never previously heard of MoleStar (neither had this reviewer), but do NOT let that put you off. Keep minds and ears firmly open for this very promising album – it is really worth hearing.
So, who are MoleStar and when did they start?
MoleStar commenced as a home-grown project, described as an ‘exercise in home recording’ by musician Pete Bonnici back in 2006. Bonnici has explained that:
‘I would program a drum part, then play guitar, bass, synth, possibly add some string arrangements, and see what happened… soon I found myself playing with structure and arrangement, adding parts and layers… One evening, I played the recording to Richard Stevens, and in a staggering twist of fate, he had drafted some lyrics inspired by a particularly tragic news story he had read. Following a bit of editing, Richard recorded the vocals…’
…and MoleStar was born. However, whilst they continued to work on songs for a while, Bonnici conceded that with ‘real life’ at play ‘MoleStar was always a back-burner project, and had run out of steam by early 2009’.
The Covid Lockdown period from March 2020 in the U.K. perversely gave more of an opportunity to resurrect this project and they worked on it for three months. In July 2020 MoleStar’s first album Don’t Look Down was released, but to little acclaim or notice. MoleStar were still encouraged enough to commence a follow-up album based on a meditation on the five stages of grief, which has taken 5 years to reach fruition with 2nd Iteration.
MoleStar have explained that the title “2nd Iteration refers not only to the continuation of the story from the previous album, but speaks to the evolution of the songwriting, sound, and production, as they march ever deeper into middle-age… each track has a distinct theme, paying homage to a plethora of musical influences while still having a sound of its own’.
The five stages of Grief may seem like rather a bleak subject matter for an album, but MoleStar create fascinating soundscapes combined with emotionally engaging lyrics, performed with great skill and touch to draw in the listener. As I complete this review, I have experienced recent significant loss so this is clearly a sensitive subject. However, there is strangely undeniable comfort and wisdom in this release for which I am grateful. This is NOT a dreary or depressing listen.
Denial raises the curtain atmospherically with a stark piano motif and sombre cello sound accompaniment, joined with organ sounds… and then a crunching guitar and bass riff thrusts in powerfully under Stevens’ beseeching but dreamy vocals. The crunching riffs rolls on underpinning a stratospheric, rippling guitar passage from Bonnici. There are echoes of Porcupine Tree, but this is no lame copy of that band. This lengthy but mesmerising piece morphs into a gentle chiming guitar and organ melody over which Stevens emotively recites a set of clever lyrics with alternating perspectives about Denial. This organ accompaniment was inspired by Richard Stevens’ experiences working in Winchester where he regularly visited Winchester Cathedral which had an effect on him. MoleStar once had aspirations of recording the end of Denial in Winchester Cathedral, but alas this never happened. Nevertheless, they still brilliantly evoke the grandeur of that clerical architecture. Bonnici’s coruscating guitar takes up the main theme over the majestic backing, eventually fading into the distance with just a sonorous organ. This is an ambitious and captivating piece to open the album.
Anger erupts with a completely different sound as overlapping guitar riffs and excellently programmed drums evoke this emotion so evocatively. Stevens virtually snarls out a stream of consciousness, with an echoing voice double tracking his vocals, conveying a sense of dislocation. The fury subsides but the darkness remains with ominous keyboards, and slithering synth passage over a throbbing backing. This serpentine synth transforms into strangely staccato bluesy guitar notes which become increasingly distorted and twisted – this whole piece just oozes menace and anger. The crunching riff continues and Stevens’ voice returns more manically almost rapping:
MoleStar have shared with TPA that ‘the flow of the lyrics in ‘Anger’ was inspired by Pete’s obsession with “Hamilton”’. This is a really impactful portrayal of that powerful, all-consuming emotion, which stays long in the mind.
The atmosphere shifts significantly in Bargaining with a lilting string sound accompanied by a very a simple but enticing guitar motif, and the piece gradually picks up weight with more strings until a splash of cymbals brings in a sonorous guitar riff and throbbing, echoing synth. There is a hypnotic majesty to this progression which is given an ethereal quality as a vocoder repeatedly intones the solemn chant:
And I will sacrifice to see your face one last time’
Some Gilmour-esque guitar accents heighten the dream-like feeling of this litany of desperation, until the forlorn vocoder voice repeats its last heartbreaking plea.
Inevitably the album takes a decidedly darker turn on Depression, a lone stark guitar casting a gloomy veil joined by a mournful synth note. An American news sample plays ominously in the background and a metronomic drumbeat impels us into the dark depths of Joy Division territory. Stevens imparts the vocals with sufficient desolation, singing the minimalistic lyrics with increasing anxiety. The tempo and momentum picks up with Bonnici’s strident, growling guitars spitting depression – the tension builds and builds… until suddenly a complete step stage as the crunching gloom lifts with a beguiling guitar melody over the continuing droning synth. A piano chimes in, along with an oscillating keyboard sound – it’s all rather engrossing. Richard Stevens returns with the same minimalistic lyrics but puts a different slant on them. The crunching guitar riff is reprised over thumping drums, until the lone haunting synth drone backing is left fading away. Nearly ten minutes is an ambitious span of time for such an approach, but MoleStar just about pull it off before your head implodes!
2nd Iteration completes its meditation on Grief with a suitably uplifting Acceptance. A gently strumming guitar joins a horn-like melody with Stevens dreamily singing these poetic visions:
You’re no longer there, There’s no turning back, You’re right here with me’
Acceptance gently progresses and is adorned with a glorious guitar passage, like sunlight breaking though a cloud, and Stevens ascends with the guitar to repeat those hopeful lyrics. This beautiful, redemptive piece gradually recedes gracefully… such a satisfying and positive way to finish this outstanding album.
Pete Bonnici has also shared with TPA that there are some clever ‘Easter Eggs’ hidden musically in 2nd Iteration:
‘As I started composing the music during lockdown, my head may have been in a weird space like everyone else, and decided to set myself some “rules”, more as an intellectual exercise than anything else:
- Each song had to be in the key of the first letter of the title.
- Each song had to start in a time signature that is a prime number (Denial is 5/4, Anger is 11/8, Bargaining 3/4, Depression 7/8, Acceptance 13/8)
- In addition, the opening riff on ‘Denial’ is DABDA, which of course are the initials of the 5 stages of grief in order’ (Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression and Acceptance).
- Also, the intervals between notes on the guitar riff on ‘Depression’ is Pi.’
These are fascinating ‘rules’ to set oneself as an artist, and one most non-technically educated musicians would not be able to spot, but do the songs actually work beyond an intellectual or academically pleasing level? Well, the evidence of these songs is very definitely that they do indeed work very well on an emotional and intuitive level.
Let’s hope that there are more of these remarkable ‘exercises in home recording’ (they are SO much more!) and MoleStar gain the recognition they richly deserve in future. 2nd Iteration is a truly impressive and engaging album, performed with great skill and thoughtful invention, imbued with a depth of genuine feeling and sense of integrity.
TRACK LISTING
01. Denial (12:44)
02. Anger (5:22)
03. Bargaining (5:49)
04. Depression (9:41)
05. Acceptance (5:21)
Total Time – 38:57
MUSICIANS
Richard Stevens – Vocals
Pete Bonnici – All Instruments
ADDITIONAL INFO
Record Label: Independent
Country of Origin: UK
Date of Release: 12th December 2025
