Monolith - Voyager (2013)

For bands, artistic growth can often be like walking a tightrope.  If you have developed a distinctive soundscape or style, modifying that sound too much can often mean alienating fans.  Not modifying it enough means stagnating artistically, or sounding as though you're trying to replicate a successful formula, usually with diminishing returns.  The most balanced approach is to develop nuances and variations within the style to expand its range, while keeping the core of the style present so as to retain a commonality from album to album.  This common thread serves as a link between releases, while allowing the artist to continue to develop and grow, and for the overall sound to change in some fashion from one record to the next.  Monolith has the dubious position of following up their excellent debut, but are they up to the task?  I'd say emphatically yes!  There are elements of the band's sound that seem to have changed to meet the requirements of the new material, but the core of what makes Monolith what they are is still present.  The band still plays a tight combination of symphonically informed melodic death metal, metalcore and "extreme metal", combining a growled vocal and melodic/sung vocal approach, they still have a chunky guitar sound with catchy riffs, and still have the songwriting chops to pull it off.

The biggest change on display here is in the cleanly sung vocals. No longer are they handled by guitarist and songwriter Colin Parrish - now all vocals are handled exclusively by vocalist Mike Gallant.  Gone are the highly processed clean vocals, and in its place are a similar vocal approach that at first, doesn't sound that much different than what Colin brought to the table, but with more range and emotion present due to the vocals not being so "effected" in nature.  Also noticeable is that there is a bit less emphasis on the split between the symphonic elements, and those that are overtly "keyboard sounding".  The other thing I noted relatively quickly was that the level of aggression in the riffing and sound seemed a bit subdued as compared with the debut, in part because the songwriting here is slightly more varied in some aspects, using more build-up and melodic intro passages, or because the riffs aren't quite as staccato as those on the debut.  As I said, however, it's still quite recognizable as Monolith, for anyone who is familiar with the debut.

Colin Parrish's guitar still crunches nicely here as it did on the debut, with a good combination of heaviness and clarity.  The guitar sound is a touch less dense this time around, but the underlying bass provides enough weight to compensate.  Colin employs more solo work this time around, so I'm guessing the change in tone was necessary for a bit of clarity's sake.  Speaking of solo work, I'm glad to see Colin branching out in this direction more, as I highlighted that as something I'd like more when I wrote the review for their debut.  I also like that he does more than just a few short bits here and there, but he cuts loose a time or two and it comes off well.  Bass by Mike Gallant is quality, with a nice combination of thumping and galloping, providing both the necessary extra emphasis to the music, but doing enough to not just sound like a piece of the backdrop.  Colin Nafziger once again brings tasteful drumming to the table, employing double-bass when it makes sense, and going for a more groove-oriented or mid-paced take when the song calls for it.  There are some nice flourishes here and there that aren't flashy or too overt, but just little cymbal bits, fills or transitions that are just nice.

Vocally, Mike is in good form.  His growls continue to be powerful, yet understandable, with that mid-range tonality that works well with their sound.  Mike's clean vocals are an interesting counterpoint to the growled vocals, and often come off understated and muted compared to the growls.  I also like the group-shouted vocals in "Endurance", as I think they accent the song appropriately.  Lyrically, the band is a bit more obtuse this time around, using somewhat less obvious themes of Christianity, and mixing in some mythology and history, as well as songs that have faith at the core, but where the lyrics take a more subtle approach.  I like the slightly more personal approach, and I applaud the band for stepping out of the obvious topics and into some interesting lyrical material.  The way the lyrics are written versus the phrasing that Mike uses at times is also used to interesting effect, as things aren't always sung (or growled) the way you'd expect them to be when reading them off the page, so that makes for a nice change.  I also like the whispered vocal during one brief spot in "Desolation", which is a nice touch.

The thing about the debut that I miss is that it was a bit heavier overall, but honestly, the two records aren't all that different in terms of the balance between crunch and melodicism.  Mike's clean vocals change the sound enough to be noticeable, but not so much that it distracts or detracts from the experience.  There is use of more extended intros on tracks like "Onslaught" and "Desolation", as well as the use of a "faux vocal" in "Initiation" that give additional flavor to the album where the debut was a bit more straight-forward.  "Voyager" is a worthy follow-up to the debut, and improves upon its predecessor enough to say the band is growing, even if some of the impact of the debut is lost in the additional elements present.  Still, I think this is the appropriate direction for the band to go, and where I think their sound was most likely to have evolved to after the debut.  As before, I'd like to see Mr. Parrish continue to hone his guitar skill and give us more solo work, and would love to see the band expand the range of material so there are even greater contrasts between heavier, faster & more frenzied spots, and those of a more mid-tempo, melodic, "hooky" nature.  As it stands, an excellent follow-up, and because it's free to download, fans of the band and of the style have zero excuse not to check it out.  Highly recommended.

90/100

This album can be downloaded in its entirety directly from the band's website:
http://www.monolith2012.com/

Monolith - Monolith (2010)

It's a sad thing when talent goes under the radar due to lack of exposure or an over-crowded art scene.  All too often, talented musicians go unnoticed because the ones that hog the limelight, though often talented themselves, are taking up too much of the public consciousness.  It's not the popular artist's fault most of the time, because that's just how things work out based on promotion, and being in the right place at the right time.  At least in current times, with the advent of the Internet for self-promotion and distribution, it's possible to overcome that in small measures.  I'm hopeful that Monolith seizes the opportunity to do so, because there's a definite talent at work here.

Monolith is a 3-piece band based out of Ontario, Canada.  They play a highly melodic, symphonic style of extreme metal.  While this kind of thing isn't new by any means, the way the band executes their particular brand of symphonic extreme metal is interesting and highly listenable.  Some bands of this style get bogged down in overblown arrangements, lack of songwriting ability, or too heavy a slant in one direction or another (in terms of how they balance the elements of their style).  Monolith suffers from none of these shortcomings, and their debut shows they not only have great command of the style, but the songwriting is quite adept, showing maturity in melodic sensibility, arrangement, and balancing the heaviness required for this style with the catchiness one might expect from a band far less heavy in sound.  The 12 tracks contained herein represent a very strong debut album that puts the band in a very good spot to get their name out there among the bigger names in the industry.


At its core, the Monolith sound is constructed of melodic death metal, but it's really so much more than that.  Indeed, there are times here when their sound barely meets the requirements of said style, while other times they embrace those aesthetics and capture that sound more completely.  The symphonic elements put the band above and beyond many in the "melodeath" camp by giving such a layered feel to the material that many melodic death metal bands simply can't match in terms of sheer melodicism and "fullness" of the sound.  The bands use of dynamics is also strong here, knowing when to fully pummel the listener with heaviness and aural intensity, and when to pull back to sparser riffs and arrangements to let the songs "breathe" a bit, giving the listener a more varied experience.  This maturity in songwriting is at once surprising and refreshing, given the short list of recognizable bands these guys have been in.


Guitar work here by Colin Parrish is excellent, with chunky riffing, melodic solo work, dual-guitar leads sprinkled throughout, and plenty of catchy melodic lines.  While Colin isn't the finest guitarist in the scene, he does a good job of showcasing his talent for melodicism and his knack for driving riffs that help propel the songs forward.  Drumming by Colin Nafziger is quite good, with mostly sub-blastbeat drumming and some interesting fills and things going on here and there.  Double-bass work isn't flashy, but is appropriate for the songs, and his sense of implementing drum fills and rhythms that fit into the songs is on display here.  Bass by Mike Gallant is also strong, with a bit more presence in the mix besides just being backbeat.  Bass guitar isn't as instantly audible as in some less "dense" metal, but he does a good job of providing the necessary "weight" underneath the guitar, and complementing the songs while not showboating.  Colinl Parrish also provides all the keyboard work and symphonic elements.  These bits contrast each other nicely by having very overt, obvious keyboard sounds alongside synthesized-yet-realistic symphonic elements.  This contrast works well most of the time and provides an interesting element more bands should consider exploring.  Vocal work is two-fold here: bassist Mike Gallant provides all the "harsh" vocals, while guitarist Colin Parrish provides the cleanly sung melodic vocals.  Unlike Christian Älvestam (Miseration, ex-Scar Symmetry), Colin's clean vocals aren't the passion-filled wails one might expect, but are a carefully honed "effected" vocal that employs an interesting "tunnel" effect while smoothing out the sound.  It's not an autotune vocal sound, but it does have a very mechanical feel to it.  Colin also double-tracks the clean vocals at time to great effect.  Nothing I say can accurately describe the music, however.  I'd recommend listening to samples via the band's Myspace page to truly get an idea of what they're doing.


The only real knocks I have about the album are that Colin's clean vocals can get a touch monotonous, even though his highly stylized approach works well for the music.  Also, the drums have plenty of power behind them, but they sound 100% triggered.  Nothing wrong with that per se, but I would love to hear what Mr. Nafziger could do with a totally acoustic kit in the studio and what that might produce.  I'd also like to hear Parrish flex his guitar muscle a bit more and increase the complexity of his solos a touch and do more of that in general, though not to the point where it interrupts the tasteful flow of the songs.  I think the band strikes a good balance between metal aggression and melodic flair, and I think given more time, their catchy songwriting could develop even further to make an album that will do more than fly under the radar like this excellent CD has.


Some may be unaware of the rough road this album has had getting out into the music world.  The band had recorded this material in 2009 and I actually had an advance digital copy to use for my radio show, and I interviewed Colin Parrish at that time to get the skinny on the band.  At that time they were freshly signed w/ Bombworks Records and working toward a CD release.  Unfortunately that deal fell through and it never materialized, so the band released the CD independently.  I applaud them for their determination to do so, because the album not only sounds fantastic (excellent production!), but the complete CD package is also nice with easy to read lyrics and a nice booklet.  If you're not a digital-only person and you like having the physical product in hand like I do, this is one to have to show the quality of what an indie release can be.  All in all, this is a high quality metal release that should please fans of melodic death metal, metalcore, possibly deathcore fans (those of more melodic persuasion), and "extreme metal" fans in general should get a kick out of this.  Highly recommended.


87/100

Darkness Before Dawn - King's To You (2009)

In the infancy of the internet, one of the fun things to do was to get into Internet Relay Chat (IRC) to seek out others like yourself who shared common interests. You could find chatrooms on a varying number of interests, and discuss topics with people in realtime. It was a leap over Usenet, where everything was threaded (like a forum), and people could have real conversations in a short amount of time. Of course, the proliferation of profanity & kiddie pr0n over IRC has lessened its appeal somewhat, but it's still a fairly happening place. You can find a chatroom on nearly every subject known to man: talk about fly fishing, how much you miss your moon boots from 5th grade, or rail on the latest Hollywood blockbuster & how much of a cash-grab it is.

But I digress. When IRC first became popular, a common practice for folks to give each other a hard time was to invoke a command on IRC systems or in the software to throw up a message that effectively told everyone in the room that you were slapping another user with a trout (or some other relatively stout fish). If you hadn't experienced it yet, the first time was somewhat jarring. Granted, they were but words on the screen, but if you didn't fall out of your chair laughing at how ridiculous the concept was, you at least sat up and paid attention to the user who "slapped" you around with the fish, as it was often a sign that you had said something stupid & were being branded a noob.

Such is the case with Darkness Before Dawn's debut full-length CD, "King's To You". Despite the somewhat dubious spelling of the title, and the overly dark cover that should have been lightened significantly before going to the presses, the music contained herein was a "slap with a trout" for me in the same figurative manner. I had heard about the band about a year before, having visited their Myspace site and heard a song or two from their earlier EP. It was competent, if unremarkable metalcore with a fair does of metal in the sound, and despite liking what I heard and sending them a friend-request, I never followed up with a purchase of the EP, relegating it to "I'll get to it later" status. Thankfully, when the money was available for me to make a large purchase from Divine Metal Distro in recent weeks, I didn't skip over their debut LP. I had heard clips from the new songs & was surprised by the transition from metalcore (emphasis on the "metal" part) to a more technically adept melodic death metal sound that still retained some of the modern touches & metalcore elements (the occasional breakdown, similar melodic leanings) that their earlier material had. However, it was possible that this album would be lost in the shuffle with all the other great stuff that was released on Bombworks Records in 2009. Would this album even stand a chance against heavyweights like Seventh Angel, A Hill To Die Upon, Dark Lay Still, Bloodline Severed, or In Grief? There are plenty of great choices for people to get their extreme metal fix from Bombworks this year, but I challenge everyone making a purchase of extreme metal to give this album a chance. I'm certain they'll find a similar experience to what I had.

The first thing I noticed when listening to the lead-off track "Monster Condo" (interesting name) was the Castlevania-esque keyboard sounds, which just drew me in, being an old-school gamer. Also, the guitar sound is heavy without being overbearing, and the vocals were brutal without being completely indecipherable. When the song really kicks in, it starts to pick up and you begin to really feel the music. This song is perhaps a bit more metalcore in construction & nature than many of the rest, but the melodic death metal elements & metal soloing are still in full force. In addition, the constant sound of the keyboard gives it another layer that adds quite a dimension to the sound. "Undeserved Hatred" appears to rage against religiosity as well as hypocrisy within the church, and musically is where the album really starts to pick up speed. Great double-bass drumming, great riffing, and that ominous keyboard sound keep this track rolling at full speed ahead. Great bridge section with some change-up in the guitar approach to bring in more melody & great harmonized guitar licks. Sweet solo toward the end of the song as well. "Mobious Strip" starts with a cool lick combo and some cool drum/cymbal work, and that underlying layer of keyboard to give it some atmosphere. The interplay between speedy double-bass drumming & fast riffing, and slower, more melodic bits is cool, and the driving, groove-laden riff as the song transitions is quite cool, with pinch-harmonics in tow. There is a bit of a breakdown section here, but it works well within the context of the song and makes sense. At about the half-way point I like the inclusion of a more Jeff Walker-esque raspy vocal with the deeper death vocals; it provides a good contrast. Once again, a strong solo here as well. The bridge at the 4 minute mark is very goove-oriented, and brings a nice dynamic to the song with a bit of a hardcore/metalcore flair. Great lyrics about failure and persistence in your faith through all of it. "The Slain Reunion" Starts out with some sweet guitar work, and a nice riff, along with some cool high-intensity snare drum. Once again, the keyboard fits in nicely in the background to provide that "extra something" to the sound. Dual-guitar harmonized riffing is the order of the day here, and it works to great effect. Cool lyrics that bring the book of Revelations to mind, and a nice transition at around the 2 minute mark to a fast riffing section and extended instrumental jam. Simple, but effective breakdown with some good double-bass drumming near the 3-minute mark, as well as a bit of fancy fretwork with some dual-leads going on. The title track really ups the ante with super-fast double bass & riffing, and is the fastest thing so far - it's no wonder they named the album after this song! Quite intense and driving, this song benefits from the constant onslaught of vocal interplay, driving double-bass work, and driving riffs. I like the variety of vocals in the song, from deeper death growls to the higher-pitched stuff. The solo work beginning near the 2-minute mark is cool, melodic, and neatly harmonized. I like the keyboard sound during the breakdown after the solo - it gives this section an interesting dynamic. I also like the change-up of the drum patterns during the verse sections, which gives the song an interesting flow as well as nice variety.

"Shattered" brings things down a hair, throwing more groove in the mix, as well as implementing a cool riff that takes the volume down a notch to give the melodic sensibility a chance to briefly shine. The keyboard is more prominent here, but only slightly - it works well in this setting. Cool riffing around the 1 minute mark that is complemented by the frenetic drumming, as well as the nice background guitar riffing. Nice dissonant sound during the breakdown with 2 guitars slightly off from each other, which sounds cool. I like how the song fades out in a wash of keyboards and fading feedback. "Prophetic Heresy" begins with an awesome melodic riff, and a cool echoing guitar effect. Then it kicks into high gear with fast double-bass work and great tom rolls, and great dual-guitar riffing. I like the guitar work around the 1:30 mark as well, with an interesting layered effect of riff & licks. "Battle On" has a nice melodic riff and interesting "bell" sound with the keyboards that gives it a nice extra touch. I like the "winding" nature of the riff - it gives it a minor element of complexity that suits the song well. Great lyrics about leaning on God to find the strength & courage to continue to "fight the good fight" and press on. Cool keyboard work around the 2:45 mark that is the first time the keyboard truly shines on the album, having been relegated to background atmospherics thus far. I like the keyboard solo and think it works well here. I'd like to hear more of this from the band in the future.

"Die To Yourself" begins with some cool dual-guitar licks and nice drum/cymbal work. The driving riff is cool, and the short breakdown around the 1 minute mark works well. The transition into a driving riff section is seamless, and shows nice variety in the song. The galloping riff around the 2 minute mark is a nice touch as well, giving a bit of classic metal influence in the mix. The song is also capped off by a nice solo at the end. "Material Existence" has a nice keyboard/riff intro, and quickly transitions into a fast riff with the cool keyboard pattern as backdrop. Cool dual-guitar work nearing the 2-minute mark, as well as some nice riffing interspersed therein. Another interesting "bell" effect on the keyboards around the 2:45 mark, and back to speedy riffing/drumming around 3 minutes. Closing track "Symbiosis" has a nice heavy intro with plodding riff, and some brief lead work, quickly transitioning into fast riffing with drums keeping the pace steady. Well-placed change-ups in vocals from deep to high as well, with a bit of layering in spots for effect. The song moves quickly from bit to bit, never slowing down to take a breath, but just going in different directions. There are a lot of transitions in this song, which keep it interesting & make the listener wonder just what's coming next. A bit of groove around the 2:15-2:30 mark, and back to faster riffing shortly thereafter. An ultra-low vocal around the 3-minute mark that signals yet another transition to a solo portion, then back to pummeling riffs and double-tracked vocals with fast double-bass drumming to keep the pace. More soloing complements the song near, and after the 4-minute mark, and the listener is pummeled until the last seconds of the song, where the keyboard fades out with the riff to give the listener a chance to breathe again.

Despite being released among a sea of great albums this year, including several label-mates, I must complement Bombworks for taking a chance on Darkness Before Dawn, and I hope fans out there will too. The CD stays interesting throughout by having a number of subtly different approaches, variety in the riffing & songwriting, and a mixture of fairly technical stuff with some more simplistic, groove-oriented material, as well as elements that will satisfy fans of most extreme metal sub-genres. If you're into melodic death metal, metalcore, deathcore, or just extreme metal in general, don't pass this one up. You'll be glad you took a chance on it like me, and perhaps you'll be "slapped with a trout" like I was upon first listen, and will be taken aback by just how good this really is. I daresay, I have spun this at least 10 times in the last 3 weeks, and it hasn't got old or felt like it wasn't fresh, which is a testament to just how strong this release is. I'd say the only shortcomings here are that there should be more variety in the keyboards (too much background, not enough time to shine), and the usual complaint that the bass is difficult to pick out in the mix, which is true of most extreme metal in general. Otherwise, this is a commendable release by a solid up-and-comer who shows a lot of promise. I was certainly "slapped in the face" with surprise as to how good it was, and I suspect others will be too. Recommended.

80/100

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