Release
date: September 29th 2017. Label: RidingEasy Records. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Rust
– Tracklisting
1.Where Death Meets
The Sea
2.Dear Lucifer
3.Rust 05:39
4.Wormland
5.Forgotten Lands
6.At Niceae
Band
Members
Thomas V Jäger -
Guitars & vocals
Esben Willems -
Drums
Mika Häkki - Bass
Review
Writing a review it’s always a
difficult task. In most cases it is because the album you are
listening to does not take you too much though, perhaps, played
majestically. Sometimes, however, you may be in trouble because what
you are reviewing is one of the best album played by one of your
favorite bands.
Today I’ll talk about the last
venture of the trio composed by Mika Häkki, Esben Willems and Thomas
Jäger, the bass, drum and guitars/vocals of one of the heaviest doom
bands of the world, Monolord, from Gothenburg, Sweden. In the last
few years, the band have released some of the best sludge/doom
albums, while still maintaining a melodic vein that clearly defines
their style. With Vaenir (Riding Easy Records) Monolord showed the
world a new perspective of the genre, cleverly mixing a bunch of
influences behind the definition of doom.
Me and my bandmate in Dustrider,
Francesco, were lucky enough to see them in Berlin at the Desertfest,
and we were totally fascinated by their show, which was by no means
the best show of that edition. A wall of brutal sound with no
compromise. I think also the horse-head-guy in the photo enjoyed as well.
Now, Monolord come back with a new
stunning album, Rust (Riding Easy Records) that certainly did not
disappoint the expectation of old fans. Starting from the cover art,
which is simply amazing and with a strong visual impact, the album
travels through a path that cleverly mixes doom with sludge and
stoner, using even harmonic solutions hardly audible in other,
similar, releases. The single track Rust, although a pure sludge
song, is a breath of fresh air with its barren atmosphere and droning
sounds, thanks also to the presence of special guests as John Gamino
from Mondo Drag on keyboards and Trevor Church of Beastmaster.
What seems to be much from this
album is the ongoing search for a trial that has led to more
articulate constructions and to a composite verve of high bill. This
approach seems evident in songs like Forgotten Lands, where the
brutal assault of the initial riffage, masterfully supported by the
monolithic rhythm section, is interrupted by a psychedelic mantra
driven by the voice of Thomas.
At Niceae is, by no means, my
favorite song of the album. I love the way with which Monolord manage
to give the listener different perspectives, especially in the final
part of the song, where droning meets Pink Floyd. Throughout the
album I have the feel of a band which has grown in the shortest time
and, most likely, has a world of fun in their work.
What else? My personal opinion is
that Rust can be considered the best album of Monolord, until the
next one. I love when a band manages to be faithful to their own
sound and attitude while being able to reinvent each and every album
more and more.
See you in Italy, guys!
Words by Bruno
Bellisario
Thanks to Dave at
US/THEM PR Group for the promo. Rust will be avaiable to buy on CD/DD/Vinyl
via RidingEasy Records from September 29th 2017.
Links:
