Release
date: November 03rd 2017. Label: Self Released. Format:
CD/DD/Vinyl
Monolith
– Tracklisting
1.Trans
Am Sunday
2.Monsterbater
3.Dimensional
Beard
4.Up
The Down Walls
5.Monolith
6.VHS
or Sharon Stone
7.Cincinatti
Juggernaut
8.The
Grey Mountain
9.Night
of 1000 Daggers
10.Sunset
Adieu
Members
Ben
Harwood: Guitars/Vocals
Jeff
Silva: Drums/Spirit Guide
Review
Hobosexual
new album - Monolith - is a crazy mixture of Classic Rock, Heavy
Metal, Sludge Rock, Stoner Rock and even Blues Rock. This is a band
showcasing their love for all things Hard Rock and Heavy Metal from
over last forty years or so. As Monolith has a distinctive vintage
quality whilst sill offering the listener an album with a truly
modern sound. Monolith is the band's third album and I'm a fairly new
listener to their world. I've heard songs from previous albums and I
knew what to expect for this album. Well, I thought I did before I
fully listened to Monolith. As Hobosexual is a very hard band to
describe or pin down.
Opening
track - Trans Am Sunday - starts off promisingly. With the band
playing a Torche-esque riff that allows the band to create a heavy
psychedelic sludge/stoner rock sound. The vocals have a slight
alternative rock feel with strands of Blues Rock guitar riffs being
played in the background. The lyrics are very cool indeed with the
band having fun with the audience by writing lyrics that are slightly
sleazy in parts but all played with a serious deadpan tone. It's the
music and vocals that keep you entertained as the song has a slight
"doom-pop" vibe. Though that only tells half the story with
this song and indeed with the rest of the album.
As
Hobosexual later fully explore the different musical elements they
have at their disposal. Most of the songs sound very different to
each other. As the band do change musical direction from one song to
the next. Songs such as MonsterBater, Dimensional Beard, Monolith,
VHS or Sharon Stone, The Grey Mountain sees the band playing a wide
range of different styles. Moments of seventies style Classic/Stadium
Rock merge seamlessly with the heavier Sludge/Stoner Rock sounds.
The
standout song has to be VHS or Sharon Stone. This song feels
partially inspired by the Billy Joel song - We Didn’t' Start The
Fire. As it follows a similar path to that song. As the band creates
a Sludge/Stoner Rock odyssey or oddity I should say, about growing up
in the eighties and nineties. The lyrics contain a high amount of
references to different moments of pop culture from that time period.
This song is very self-aware and sums up what the band do brilliantly
well. Making you laugh out loud one moment and then rocking out the
next to a fantastic heavy riff.
It's
a shame this album wasn't released before the start of the summer
period. As this album could have easily been classed as one of the
best albums of the summer. Still, that doesn't stop Monolith being
one of the craziest and inventive albums I've heard this year.
Words
by Steve Howe
Thanks to Monica at
Speakeasy PR for the promo. Monolith will be available to buy on
CD/DD/Vinyl from November 3rd 2017.
