Kev Rowland It took four years from ‘The Amanensis’ for Monuments to return with their third full-length album, by which time they had not only lost the services of long-term drummer Mike Malyan, but also his replacement Anup Sastry, who on this album has put up an impressive display so newest member Daniel Lang will have a lot to do when they head out on tour. Although this is still a metalcore album, they are starting to concentrate even more on the metallic elements, which are incredibly brutal. This means that when there is a slight respite in proceedings, such as the introduction to “Mirror Image”, one knows that it is going to all come crashing back in a minute.

There is a huge contrast in styles both between songs and within songs, so that the listener is never really sure where the music is going to go, and strong melodic vocals may have mayhem beneath them, or simpler chords may have Barretto throwing up his lungs. One of the bands they have played with recently was Protest The Hero, and that must have been a match made in heaven. I have long been a fan of the Canadians, and it was wonderful that I finally managed to see them play about eighteen months ago, and the styles of the two bands are both complimentary and different, and both can really rip it up when the need arises. Monuments keep improving with each album, and it will be interesting to see what they come up with next time, and indeed if they can actually keep the same line-up together from one album to the next!

Kev Rowland This 2014 album was the second full release from the British metalcore act, following on from 2012’s ‘Gnosis’, and in the intervening time they had parted ways with singer Matt Rose who was replaced by Chris Barretto (ex-Periphery). A new singer can create a total change to a band’s sound, but Barretto is incredibly adept at mixing up the styles so that it often sounds as if there are two quite distinct and different singers, instead of just one man. What makes Monuments stand out for me is the high use of melody, with strong swathes of keyboards when the time is right, all combined with a djent style approach. All of this makes them a cut above the norm within the genre. Metalcore is probably my least favourite sub-genre, as often it is never one thing or another and consequently is less than any of the component parts, but when it is in the hands of a band who really know what they are doing then it is shifting dynamic after contrasting melody and they bounce off each other to create something quite special.

When the band decide to go full out, then Barretto is more than up to the task, but while he is giving it full-on sore throat the guys underneath are not only ripping it up but are bending chords to create something that is Meshuggah, but much more. When they want to be delicate then they produce songs, or at least sections of songs, that sound as if they could be played on the radio. Then of course they throw away the rulebook along with any opportunity of being played commercially and instead rip everyone a new one. Metalcore isn’t for everyone, and it is rarely for me, but this is an enjoyable romp by a band who really mean whatever style of music they are performing at the time.