Empress Rising is a incredible heavy doom and stoner metal album, with lots of condensing bass riffs. The bass is in the foreground, grinding slowly through the tunes. In addition with an as slow guitar supporting in the background and a steady drum Audhumbla is a gloomy track with strong stoner metal aspects, but much slower and heavier, adding a doom-laden touch. While Audhumbla is a full instrumental song, there are monotone vocals in all other tunes, sometimes weak and spooky, high pitched in the background, behind all the instruments, adding a fanatic overtone. At other times, like in the first song Empress Rising, they have a stronger presence, where the vocals take control of the song, leading propulsive through the track.
MonoLord has been on the top of the doom metal charts of Bandcamp for quite a while. While bands come and go, this band stayed. This band likes to take reprieves during the songs, constructing fast a high density with just a simple riff, then braking again, letting the tone grow to its maximum. The punctuation lies on every tone, searching and reaching its limit. This gives the whole tune a strong density, using a strong, never ending distortion on every tone. This adds a leaden touch to their style.
The vocals are mostly very thin and repetitive, in consideration of its melodious form and its texts. They add characteristically to the already minimalistic bass soil, giving the tune a vision, the mode of expression of a prophet. With the lyrics the band expresses a darkened contemplation, a particularly black view on the horizon, in fact some obscurantism.
Monolord from Sweden is an interesting band for everyone who listens to gloomy stoner metal, like Om or Spelljammer. They convince by heavy heavy and leaden bass riffs and an overall low tempo. Listening to them feels like marching through metal slag. The music is at great length, has an enormous density and is extraordinary in-depth.
Words: Luis Luethi
Monolord @ Bandcamp
