15. March 2025
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Media Review

Cleopatrick – Fake Moon

Florian Buechtingby Florian Buechting

Cleopatrick - Fake Moon

Cleopatrick - Fake Moon
4.1

Rating

 4.1/5

Flyctory.com Pros

  • Significantly more straight and well-defied than "Bummer"
  • Nice, characteristic sound
  • Good stories

Cleopatrick is a rock duo, which is merging different rock styles to their characteristic sound. Hard rock, alternative, indie sounds – there is a bit of everything. Even though I struggled with their 2021 debut album Bummer, I went for another listen. On 14th March 2025, the project shares their sophomore album Fake Moon Here is my review.

 

Cleopatrick – About The Artists

Cleopatrick is a Canadian rock duo, which has been founded Cobourg, Ontario. They are active since 2015 and consist of Luke Gruntz and Ian Fraser. The duo published two EPs, before they released their debut album Bummer. My review was rather mixed. After Bummer, there have been two more EP releases, Doom in 2022 and 2 Doom Demos a year later. With the 2017 single release Hometown, the band already had a Top 6 Canadian rock chart success.

 

Cleopatrick – Fake Moon – Track by Track

The ten song album lasts 32 minutes.

1. Heat Death

Heat Death is a song with is coming with a very monotonous style. Neither the drumming by Ian Fraser nor the recurring guitar chords create a wide melodic space. Luke Gruntz’s voice does also just cover a very limited range. However, together with the story of the song, the opener does manage leaving a mark and and also somehow strikes with its monotony. Thus, I like it.

2. Bad Guy

Bad Guy opens a block of three songs, which have already been released before the album. The song leaves a very different impression from the very beginning: especially after the rather constant sound of Heat Death, the second track has a much stronger felt musical range. It also comes with a nice groove, using different melodic and rhythmic elements. A very interesting listen.

3. Hammer

Hammer feels to start similarly to Bad Guy, but then defines a much more rocking profile. The song also lives from the contrast of strong and present riffs, which suddenly break down and turn turn into a fine melody. Cleopatrick thereby also uses rather unusual elements like the sound of scratching a record.

4. Please

Can’t take it off its just a part of me
Had it once and can’t stop it
I’m always the cannibal
I drown in lucid dream

Please is a bit slower and also less rhythmic. Thus, the song feels overall more melancholic, which is a good fit to the message of the lyrics. A really nice listen.

5. Softdrive

The fifth song Softdrive starts with rain and several other electronic, atmospheric elements. However, these 85 seconds do not really create a strong character and rather work as an interlude track.

6. Chew

After this brief intermission, Chew is a full-length track. It reminds me of the melancholic Please right before Softdrive. The key message of the song is Ruin it all // It’s not enough earth to hide it from me. The song nicely suits into the context of Fake Moon, even though I feel that other songs leave a stronger mark while listening.

7. Big Machine

Cleopatrick like to work with distortion and electronic elements to shape the sound of their music. Big Machine does make use of these eleements as well, but feels comparably “clean”, especially in the context of the album. I really like that.

8. Sarah

Sarah says you waste your life
If you don’t fight for her side
She’s waning with the fake moon tides
She does lines but not that kind

Sarah is a very special song on Fake Moon. With its 2:10 minutes duration, but also its lyrics, it feels like an interlude, an introduction to the title track following thereafter. However,

9. Fake Moon

The title track of the album is also its penultimate one. The song starts rather slow and with a fine melody. However, in its last third, it changes to a lot of energy and a rather loud character with a slowly marching beat. I really like this dramatic plot.

10. Love You

Is there a better way to finish an album than with the message Love You? Even the last words of the album come with nice emotions. The song reflects the typical style of the band, but still has a nice farewell touch.

If you fall down you know i’m gonna be there
Was a nice try
Now i’m with you till you’re air

 

Cleopatrick – Fake Moon – Spotify

Here is the album on Spotify:

 

Cleopatrick – Fake Moon – My View

I did have some trouble with Bummer. However I feel that Fake Moon is much more balanced. I would even tend to say that it is more mature. Cleopatrick defined their own sound and show very nice, different aspects of it on Fake Moon. Overall, this leads to a convincing record.

Favorite Song: Please

 

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