In Luna's Garden Turns Weakness Into Strength With "Mina vs the Pit of Despair"

As per the album’s first track, “Mina vs the Pit of Despair” features dark themes such as suicide and self-harm. With a record comprising thirteen songs revolving around a certain topic, listeners are advised to think twice before giving this a go.

But, if you’re stable and exploring new music, let me give you an overview: In Luna’s Garden’s latest release is an interest-piquing album with a concept like no other. Genre-wise, it is mostly stagnant on electro, pop punk, and may even have the slightest resemblance to metal bands.

As the name suggests, the concept centers around a character called Mina, a nineteen-year-old girl. In the course of all the songs, her journey of navigating darkness to light is narrated. “SOS” serves as the introductory track, giving listeners firsthand experience of what to expect moving forward: “If these words reach your headphones / would you tell my story?” Additionally, it seems as though the mention of rabbit holes sparks the element of fantasy and fictitious within the storytelling, which greatly contrasts what everything actually means.

Speaking of contrasts, the next track, “Mina’s Daily Routine” sounds completely different to the previous one, which adds variety and a whole new perspective to the story. Although, at this point, it all seems to be a cry for help in Mina’s case. The creative expression of sympathy through “Finds a dead rabbit and thinks of its children” and “Thinking of genocide and how much suffering can fit into just one lifetime” accurately depicts how fast a human mind can run.

“Better than Nothing?” brings a sense of reflection to the table, most likely a battle of the self within itself, and is most certainly up to consumers’ interpretations unless explicitly stated. It also comprises a great instrumental towards the near end.

What really intrigued me is the use of other characters or point of views throughout the album. For instance, “Doctor! Doctor!” features several: Mina’s parents, the receptionist, the doctor, the psychotherapist, and Mina herself. The tracks “Loneliness” and “Pain” are also depicted as characters within themselves. In “Down the Rabbit Hole”, Remorse is introduced, a character in which its lines always end up twisted and negative, to which Mina responds to deny its claims. Remorse later on reappears on a number of tracks, including “We’re Painting the Roses Black”, making it seem like it symbolizes Mina’s inner demons, the main antagonist of the story.

There’s not much art curated these days that include character-like elements, which makes “Mina vs the Pit of Despair” a great concept, maybe even a runner up for other adaptations.

Amidst the pop punk vibe in almost all the tracks, the small “Intermission” between it all features soft melodic piano, and “Katana/Training Montage” is heavily JPOP inspired with matching Japanese lyrics despite retaining the same theme; a little break from the usual endearing, distorted vocals every listener met at the beginning of the record.

By track eleven, Mina seems to be confronting death in “Death”, claiming that she misses the thought of it, like an old friend she wishes to meet again. In the end, however, she seems to let go of that thought through the following lines: “My first memory was thinking about you / in that way you’ve always been home / don’t say I must let go of you now”.

“Chemical Suicide” is a song worth noting. It features vivid imagery, a sense of reminiscence and nostalgia: “I can’t keep track of the days or the years it all blends together / but I know it’s been thirty-six packs of cigarettes since I’ve last been home”. It’s a recollection, with the acknowledgement of “The world keeps on turning and now it’s your choice to play / your part or let it pass you by / sew you away”. It ends on a positive note, “ I love you and need you / to promise me that you won’t be resigned to a chemical suicide” which is just utterly beautiful for something that discusses a sensitive topic.

The story ends with “Daughter of the Moon”, featuring the persona of Remorse trying to pull Mina back in the dark while she refuses, claiming that she won’t go without a fight. “Cheers to hope for better days / that’s something more / something we all can search for”.

After listening to this record back to back, there’s a sense of relief that all of it is just a blissful expression of the feeling of despair, and the light seeping through the cracks brings fulfillment, in a way.