Monolord Post Video for “Lord of Suffering”
Because so much of the story around Swedish trio Monolord has, since they made their debut with 2014’s Empress Rising, been about the largesse of riff they proffer, the massive nod and so on, I feel like the underlying narrative of their progression has been somewhat lost.
Don’t get me wrong, if you’re asking the question, “What do Monolord sound like?” the answer is no doubt going to be, “They sound frickin’ huge,” but across their 2015 second LP, Vænir (review here), and last year’s Lord of Suffering / Die in Haze EP (review here), guitarist/vocalist Thomas V. Jäger, bassist Mika Häkki and drummer Esben Willems have enacted a chartable sonic growth that’s been as much about expanse as volume. They still crush — or “crosh,” if you prefer the emphatic pronunciation — but both tracks on the latest EP offer atmospheric density as well as tonal.
Does that mean Monolord are moving past their foundation? Probably not, but it does mean Jäger is becoming more comfortable as a singer and as a whole they’re becoming less tied to unipolar heft. The watery effects that one hears on “Lord of Suffering” add a psychedelic flavor to what’s otherwise a pretty straightforward fuzz roll, and one gets the sense in listening that it captures the three-piece at a transitional moment, which makes the prospect of a third album — which has been hinted at for 2017 — all the more enticing.
If/when Monolord do hit the studio this year, they’ll do so as part of what will no doubt remain a busy schedule of live dates. Already they’ve been confirmed for Germany’s Stoned from the Underground (info here) in July and for SonicBlast Moledo (info here) in Portugal this August, and no doubt more announcements are to come. I haven’t heard anything to this effect, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they were on the road for the entire month between those two. That’s kind of how Monolord do.
Fittingly, the video below for “Lord of Suffering” was filmed on tour. One way or another, expect more from Monolord as we move through 2017.
March on:
Monolord, “Lord of Suffering” official video
Swedish trio Monolord premiere the first video from their new 10″ EP. The seven-minute video is culled from footage shot throughout the band’s extensive US and EU touring last summer.
Monolord’s full discography is available on RidingEasy Records.
Tags: Gothenburg, Lord of Suffering Die in Haze, Monolord, Monolord Lord of Suffering Die in Haze, RidingEasy Records, Sweden
