Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 06/28/2005
Monolithe's second album,
Monolithe II, is not recommended to those who are plagued by short attention spans. This 50-minute CD is comprised of one extended piece, which is also titled
"Monolithe II" and successfully brings together elements of
doom metal,
gothic metal,
death metal and
progressive rock -- an unlikely combination, certainly, but one that works well for this French band. In terms of influences,
Monolithe is very far-reaching. One hears an appreciation of
My Dying Bride,
Paradise Lost and
Black Sabbath (a band that is considered essential listening in the
doom metal/
stoner rock field), but
"Monolithe II" also has some of
Neurosis' atmospherics and gets a lot of inspiration from
Pink Floyd -- and the vocals favor the type of deep, guttural growl that
death metal is known for. Of course, any piece that is stretched out for 50 minutes had better be interesting;
"Monolithe II" is interesting -- at least if one has a taste for music that is very dark, moody, and ominous.
"Monolithe II" is definitely not a cheerful piece of music; from
My Dying Bride's '90s recordings to
Ozzy Osbourne-era
Sabbath to the most foreboding parts of
Pink Floyd classics like
Dark Side of the Moon and
Wish You Were Here,
Monolithe clearly gets their inspiration from the darker side of
rock. Happy, upbeat escapism? You won't find it here. What you will find is a band that, although heavy and aggressive, is also intricate, melodic and highly musical. This CD is never an exercise in bombast for the sake of bombast;
Monolithe's sophomore album is thinking man's
metal, and the disc is recommended to headbangers who aren't intimidated by a little complexity.
~Alex Henderson, All Music Guide
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