Wednesday 16 May 2018

Monolith Grows! - Black And Supersonic (Album Review)



Release date: June 08th 2018. Label: Burning Wax Productions. Format: CD/DD/Vinyl

Black And Supersonic – Tracklisting

1. You're Gone
2. Ultraviolet In The Clear Sky
3. Satan Monday Bureau
4. Interlude with Synths and Clean Guitars
5. Here Comes The Hero
6. Silly Gods
7. So Fresh!
8. Low
9. Above The Doubts
10. Empire Of Dirt

Members

Andrea Marzoli - Vocals & Guitar
Riccardo Cocetti - Drums
Max Codeluppi - Lead Guitar
Enrico Busi - Bass

Review

Black And Supersonic is the new album from Monolith Grows!. A band that are not afraid to rely on familiar sounds but injecting it with a more cosmic spaced out feel. Lead vocalist Andrea is inspired by singers from the Grunge Scene whilst the band play a heavy blend of Grunge, Psych, Doom, Stoner and Spaced Out Rock.

Opening track - You're Gone - starts very slowly but soon builds up to a commanding heavy rhythm with the excellent vocals creating a heavy grunge/stoner hybrid sound. The song does have an alternative rock feel at times but the band manages to keep the whole mood firmly within the Hard Rock/Stoner Rock spectrum.

Second track - Ultraviolet In The Clear Sky - sounds eerie familiar to the later sounds of Soundgarden. Though it's still a very good song in its own right. The song has some very cool quiet ambient sounds merged with the heavy psychedelic grunge riffs. The pounding drums are the best part of this song.

Third track - Satan Monday Bureau - has a more manic punk based energy and this allows Monolith Grows! to become more confident with their musical surroundings. This song features Joe Mora from House Of Broken Promises. The album also becomes decidedly sinister and doomier. This is where the album and the band start to stand on their own convictions. The whole flow and feel of the album has a classic rock approach but merged with a few modern day influences. I cannot fault the albums production as Black And Supersonic sounds brilliantly heavy throughout.

Other good songs to check out on the album are: Interlude With Synths And Clean Guitars, Here Comes The Hero, Silly Gods, Low and Empire Of Dirt. The use of different psychedelic sounds is what made me enjoy the album the most. As Monolith Grows! are not afraid to experiment with their sound.

Monolith Grows! show a true talent for writing detailed lyrics that matches the some of the finely played progressive riffs heard through the album. Maybe Monolith Grows! is a very hard band to define as they veer off into so many different musical directions. Though that’s one of the albums strengths. As most of the songs on the album have their own distinctive sound.

Black And Supersonic is a hugely entertaining and constantly engaging album that should see Monolith Grows! reputation grow steadily within the Doom/Stoner Rock community.

Words by Steve Howe

Thanks to Claire at Purple Sage PR for the promo. Black And Supersonic will be available to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl via Burning Wax Productions from June 8th 2018.

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