Monolord: I'm Staying Home

Stoner/Doom metal is all the rage these days, or so I've heard. The thick, syrupy, and weighty riffs of Sabbath worship, plus a plodding and methodical pace that yearns and beckons for copious amounts of mind-altering substances are a combined force that tends to draw a lot of folks in. Sweden's Monolord are a band that certainly fit into this niche, and their latest single, "I'm Staying Home" is a nice little taster as to what they offer to the listener.

Consisting of one new song (the titular "I'm Staying Home") and a live recording of "The Bastard Son" off of their most recent LP No Comfort, the band offer you a pair of doom metal slabs that run the gamut from slow but bouncy, to slow and plodding; and both are absolutely slathered in fuzzy guitars and bluesy leads. Monolord certainly let their old-school Sabbath influences shine in the title track, where the Bill Wardian pounding drums and meaty riffs take center stage. Lead vocals are distant and drenched in reverb, almost as if they were recorded in the house next door, which certainly adds to the aged and crusty vibe of the whole thing. As said previously, the other track here is a live version of their lengthy track "The Bastard Son". This is a lumbering, stomping beast of a song, and has a lot of similarities to some of Cathedral's slower moments. The same echoey vocals are featured here, along with a clean guitar segment later in the track. It's basically the audio equivalent of getting trapped in a tar pit and having to slowly claw your way out. I don't mean it in a bad way either, some people are totally into that. Or at least into the idea of music that lends itself to fighting your way out of a tar pit.

I'm Staying Home is a solid 2 song taster of what Monolord are all about. I'm personally more fond of the shorter, more upbeat (not sure that word even qualifies here) Sabbath worship of the title track, but for fans of stoner metal, it's obviously worth a look. Good performances all around by the band, and the short overall length (even with a 9+ minute song in the mix) means it's a no risk, quick dive into what Monolord can offer. Grab a bottle/pile of your poison of choice and have a listen.

Track list:
1. I'm Staying Home
2. The Bastard Son - Live at Freak Valley Festival

Added: February 22nd 2021
Reviewer: Brandon Miles
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 693
Language: english

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