Monolithe have carved an excellent niche since they returned from a five year hiatus in 2012 with their musical signature, best described as progressive doom metal with a spring in its step. Each of the band’s four full-length releases has been delivered as one long track – an impressive feat in itself. But what’s really marked Monolithe out is its ever unfolding arrangements that mix funeral doom, doom death, ambient sounds and a few other assorted influences into enthralling compositions. Clever stuff and a band whose past work I feel comfortable wholeheartedly recommending. Epsilon Aurigae is no exception. Monolithe’s latest cosmic journey has begun.
In something of a departure, the band has split this release into three parts – all exactly 15 minutes long. Monolithe mastermind Sylvain Bégot clearly relishes the mathematical challenges he sets himself as much as he does the musical ones. Not that any of its work ever feels forced and I dare say this sort of explorative doom sound would simply fall over into aimless or disjointed meandering if it was. Epsilon Aurigae is less funereal than previous efforts, starting with a pace and crackling energy that would leave some of their previous efforts breathless with effort.
The opening track also begins the album with a harder edge to it than Monolithe’s other work and even manages to use Richard Loudin’s vocals in new and different ways. Things have not so much evolved this time as jumped an evolutionary step – albeit with the unmistakable Monolithe stamp. Synoecist, despite its quickened pace, still leaves you plenty of time to admire the ever changing scenery that Monolithe presents, preparing the base layers for what will follow.
The track TMA-0 bridges the other two – an unhurried, plodding, crushing sound which at first takes you further down into the depths before slowly shrugging off the weight of the guitars and adding a new sense of purpose. It slowly steps out of the relative darkness created on the first track and, as ever, builds a new sound almost unnoticed which in the second half of the track really begins to take flight. There’s something life-affirming about Monolithe that contrasts heavily with the sometimes claustrophobic doom metal the band has chosen to construct its sound around. By the end of the second track, if the magic is working as it should, you’re well primed for the final treat.
It’s almost impossible with Monolithe to avoid occasionally looking back to consider how you got to any particular point. There’s space and time to reflect and thinking about the tricks and sublime shifts that transport you along. The final track could well be taken as a whirling vortex of doom death all on its own but it’s made all the better when see through the filter of the previous half an hour’s worth of music. Like a final gift for the intrepid who’ve made it this far, Everlasting Sentry rises like an updraft creating the final blocks for the latest monolithic, musical structure.
The odd thing about Monolithe is that you find yourself wondering if the fireworks are coming before you suddenly realise you’re looking right at them. Each time I switch on any given album I’m surprised all over again at what the band achieves. Epsilon is another finely crafted, irresistible musical canvas which you may well get drawn inside before you’ve even realised.
(8.5/10 Reverend Darkstanley)
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