Black Moon Cult Rising to the Occasion for First Boise Show, a Must-See for Fans of The Sword
Black Moon Cult bleed heavy psych rock. If you don’t believe that statement and live in Boise, your chance to prove us wrong is to catch them tonight at Neurolux, where they will be part of a loaded bill also featuring Kal-El and Goya (who are also pals of The Bad Penny).
While we typically don’t repeat accolades bestowed upon bands by rival websites, it’s worth noting that The Obelisk named Black Moon Cult’s self-produced Ophidian Future: The Children of Yig the best debut record of 2025. Expect the trio from Toledo, Ohio, to tap heavily into that record, issued by Atlanta’s Black Doomba Records, during their set.
Founded by guitarist and vocalist Kaleb Riser five years ago, Black Moon Cult – who are signed to Atlanta’s Doomba Records (Megaton Communion, Thunderbird Divine) – also features bassist and synth player Kevin Lewis, along with drummer and percussionist Jeff Vandebussche.
The Bad Penny caught up with Black Moon Cult en route to Boise on Wednesday and chatted them up about what they have in store for tonight’s sure-to-be-thunderous gig. Here’s what Riser had so say:
How has your tour gone so far? Any highlights and/or lowlights?
Happy to report this has been the best tour we’ve taken part in so far! Highlights include first Canadian shows in the band’s history, along with the incredible shows in Portland/ Seattle/ San Francisco. Lowlight would be missing the Eugene show because of our tire popping four lug nuts/ stems, leaving us stranded waiting on a mobile mechanic until well after showtime.
Will this be your first time in Boise or have you been here before?
First time in Boise! Been wanting to play here for quite some time, as our friend Kenny [Sehgal], owner of Tee Pee Records, is from Boise and has praised the local scene in our talks with him.
Happy five-year anniversary! How did you celebrate?
No official celebration, but 2026 being our busiest touring year to date certainly makes this year feel like a special one!
How have you approached making music differently compared to when you started out – or has your process, aesthetic and themes mostly remained the same?
The main difference has been the chemistry shifts between lineup changes. For the most part, songs start with me, and many ideas are fully formed by the time the band fleshes them out. That chemistry majorly effects the final product. Lots of growth coming with this next album.
Congrats on the release of Ophidian Future. What inspired its creation?
Several themes – including Lovecraftian cosmic horror and sci-fi, Chinese mythology, the occult, and even some Biblical references – make up the DNA of the album’s theme. As far as musical influences, The Sword’s Warp Riders album was certainly a massive inspiration in terms of writing a Scifi based loose-concept album which doesn’t get wrapped up in typical Prog-concept-album pretentiousness. I feel, like Warp Riders, that Ophidian Future is a hard-rocking album that holds up on its own, song-by-song, and that knowledge of the concepts is unnecessary for an enjoyable listening experience. The concepts are just nerdy icing on the cake.
I hate asking about album titles, but what does it mean? Is the connotation that we’re a people eating our own tail, i.e. self-combusting as a nation?
At the time of writing, I wasn’t necessarily trying to make any sort of political or social commentary. The theme of snakes/evil taking over the world was more so based in a fantastical/sci-fi context. However, as time has gone on, I find the themes becoming a more and more relevant reflection of the current American climate. I try to let music and the creative process be as much of an escape from reality as it can be, but the influence of the current climate on my subconscious was obviously there.
What’s the best show you’ve ever performed?
Man, Seattle on this run was incredibly rowdy. There’s some notable fest appearances I’d put up there, but in terms of club shows, we were incredibly blown away by the Seattle crowd. Energy unmatched.
What’s the lamest show you’ve ever performed?
We were performing a backyard festival in Ohio, and I had consumed a large amount of psychedelic mushrooms. The temperature was in the higher ’90s that day, and many bands performing were having tech issues. The power supply of my pedalboard ended up frying in the heat, and it took about 10 minutes to diagnose that problem and rewire the board with a new power supply in front of a fest crowd that was obviously growing impatient. The mushrooms made that all feel like it lasted an hour. Finished fixing the issue with time for one more song. That was a pretty awful time, haha.
How did you link up with Kal-El?
Our booking agent’s band (Volume) was initially slated to play this one, and when they had to step down we got the offer to step into their place. It was a very last minute offering (about two to three weeks before the tour), so we scrambled to get our resources together and luckily made it happen. It’s been as big of an opportunity as we hoped it would be. Absolutely incredible time, and Kal-El and Goya have become like brothers to us in this very short time. Very sad there’s only a few shows left!
Do you have any plans to do anything specific in Boise while you’re here, or will you be too strapped for time?
Bit strapped for time, but we’ve been told steak fingers are a must-have. Hoping to score some close to the venue! We typically try to indulge in a bit of food tourism in every new city. Theres not always time for sightseeing, but there’s always time to eat!
Black Moon Cult play tonight at Neurolux with Kal-El and Goya. Tickets cost $23.75 with fees and are available here. Doors open at 7 p.m., with bands starting an hour later. For more on Black Moon Cult, hop over to their website.
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