Monachus are from Sweden and play epic, spiralling atmospheric Doom. Having been a fan of their previous work, both as Monachus and as previous incarnation Icos, I was looking forward to what this release would bring.
And what they bring is sludge-y Doom with some delicious Post-Metal excellence sprinkled on top. The music twists and turns and swamps the listener in warm, post-Neurosis/Isis sounds while proudly striding forwards, forging their own legacy of brilliance for others to follow.
The vocals are top-notch and seem to only be improving with time. Greater variation and depth of voice than ever before, and real feeling that hits you deep in the gut. From gruff to clean, the singer knows what he’s doing that’s for sure.
Each of the songs on this album are finely crafted examples of the art of musical journeys; each journey slowly taking the listener to parts unknown, below what is real and safe, into places other. The album is aptly named in my opinion; with each song giving the feeling of dragging the listener down, underground, or spiralling down the whirlpool to a dark underworld.
There are four songs on this album, and at 38 minutes in length it is over far too quickly as a release of this quality could easily be longer.
Definitely a superior release, with Monachus cementing their position as one of the premier acts of this style. The future is Below.
Available via Alerta Antifascista Records: www.doomrock.com
4 thoughts on “Monachus – Below (Review)”