Monolithe
Monolithe III

Release Date: 2012 | Tracklist

Monolithe’s solid discography just got better with their newest 2012 release Monolithe III. They’re known for their one track LP’s which right from first impression demand a great deal of dedication as you can't just listen to parts here and there and call it an effective listen. You have to literally dedicate the time to sit through this nearly 52 minute masterpiece. Monolithe isn’t necessarily doing anything new here from their previous releases other than creating a tighter compositional base and experimenting with transition passages in an alternate way. Some of their previous releases would allow riffs to draw out longer than what’s found here. Here we have almost a 20% increase in riffs within intervals creating a much more enjoyable album even previous LP’s are arguably just as good. With the increase of riffs I found this album to be much more accessible than their previous releases. They still know how to hold their emotions up high without compromisation from the increase of note techniques.

When listening through this 52 minute feat I immediately felt the connection right from the get go. Monolithe’s typical distorted atmosphere, synths, and drums kick in without hesitation. I noticed that the approach to the riffs where very careful and non-exasperating. At about the 7 minute mark we have a transition from the heavy moments to an almost airy feeling of slow moving harmonies. Once a note is struck they tend to drag out long enough before another rather than trying to fit as many notes as they can within a certain interval period; much like a singer would allow his sung notes to gain vibrato before going to another note. The vocals are deep and used very sparingly about 20% of time which is a breath of fresh air because everything here is about emotional feel and too much vocals could work in an opposite direction.

The attention to detail is quite notable when you feel moments begin to come to a conclusion like at about the 15 minute mark but then a whole new atmosphere jumps right in very smoothly. We have even uses of death styled riffing here too which is just what Monolithe needs to keep the listeners interested. It’s what keeps them fresh and growing. If you can’t take doom any further then add some new genre elements and that’s what Monolithe does very effectively. Adding soaring solo melodies akin to Evoken and Esoteric they create an atmosphere that is crushing yet visualizing. We can only hope that any future releases will show Monolithe developing their sound even further and capturing more attention from death metal fans and the like worldwide. This is highly recommended for any doom metal fan.

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3.9 excellent

Rank: #0 for 2012