March 22, 2016 will always be remembered by Belgians as a dark day. That morning, suicide bombers attacked Brussels Zaventem Airport and the city subway, killing 32 innocent people and injuring more than 300. A few months after the attacks, Belgian hardcore crew Moments released their track Heartless, a resolute and anthemic beatdown defiant in the face of terrorism with the lyrics: ‘faith is not a tool to start a war’.
“We have to respect each other and each other’s beliefs,” says vocalist Dries Monsieurs firmly. “But you can’t use your beliefs to do bad things. I work with Muslims every day and they’re the victims.” Does he sense fear in his home country since the attacks? “For sure,” he replies. “You’re not going to see [the fear] when you walk on the streets but now it’s normal that there are soldiers on the streets. That freaks me out! It’s getting so normal to live with that fear that you don’t see it on people’s faces.”
After unleashing a new EP, Outlast, last month, the quartet are truly hitting their stride, and the release marks the beginning of a new era. Over five impressive jolts of ferocious adrenaline, they’ve maintained the more melodic sensibilities of their riffy 2015 debut, Hopes & Dreams, but chucked a liberal amount of gang chants, While She Sleeps-esque urgency and Hatebreed-inspired belligerence and positivity into the mix.
“People know Moments for catchy choruses and singalongs,” says Dries. “But we wanted to show people that we can do other things. We wanted to be harder, stronger and louder.”
If that’s their new MO, then the EP delivers crushingly on its weighty promises. As well as expanding and augmenting their sonic palate, on Outlast the band have embraced heavier subjects. Lead single What If combines the energy of This Is The Six-era Sleeps with brutish, chugging riffs and was thematically inspired by Dries’ recent trip to Berlin where he was shocked by the scale of homelessness he encountered. “It was in the winter and it broke my heart,” he says quietly. “I was asking myself, ‘What if that was me?’ I have such an amazing life, I have a roof above my head, I have a car… The single is about what if the tables were turned. I want everyone in this world to help each other. Everyone wants that but nobody does it.”
The world in 2017 is a cruel and scary place and more than ever we need bands with something to say. Moments deserve their platform and your attention.
OUTLAST IS OUT NOW
