This is the fourth album from US doom/sludge metallers Behold! The Monolith.
It seems like an age ago that it came out, but 2015’s Architects of the Void stood out from the crowds that year, (and made it into my year end list), and I had wondered if we’d ever hear from the band again. They’ve now reappeared though, and with a new singer to boot, to bring us 46 minutes of new material.
The Behold! The Monolith of 2022 is a darker, heavier, harsher beast. The band’s refreshed mix of doom and sludge is a crushing, vaguely blackened one, delving deep into the abyss to bring the listener a tale of darkness and woe. If Architects of the Void was the sound of dust and rocks, From the Fathomless Deep is the sound of the murky abyssal depths.
Behold! The Monolith have written a selection of textured, nuanced songs. The massive guitars are just one feature of the music, and the band boast a plethora of different strengths and tools with which they have crafted a multifaceted beast of an album. Doom-fuelled riffs tower over the music, forming the core of the band’s sound. Classic metal and stoner elements can be heard amidst the sludgy heaviness, adding flavour, while the band traverse a multitude of doomed out territories.
From atmospheric menace, to dense walls of distortion, to bleak introspection, to riotous aggression, to progressive expressions, the band cover a good amount of ground in their quest for musical devastation. The songs are well-crafted and each one of the six has its own personality and place on the album. From the Fathomless Deep is a very satisfying listen, with the warm organic sound working nicely with the band’s grim harshness to produce a journey that’s well worth taking.
It is great to have Behold! The Monolith back in action, especially when they have brought with them such a strong and enjoyable album.
Very highly recommended.
Wonderbox Metal 