Monstereo: In The Hollow of the Wave

Monstereo takes many queues from the hard rock sounds of the 70’s, good riffs, lead guitar work that showcases taste over speed, while blending some keyboards (especially dig the organ) into the mix. The band also adds a touch of grunge/punk attitude to their sound (at times), I get this mostly from the vocals. This is where the band loses me, I like lead singers voice, but when he tries to go for a more aggressive delivery, he seems to lose some control, and falls a bit out of tune. “Witness� is the perfect example, the vocals just turn me off and ruin the song for me. The song evolves into a spacey jam, changing things up musically, which they do very well.

I love the energy, they have a raw straight ahead approach. The opening “Third Eye Seeing� dives right in with heavy guitar riffs and soloing. One of my favorite moments is the dual harmony guitar solo during “Everlasting Darkness�, reminding me of those 70 bands we all love, who would just take off on a jam. I enjoy a lead that carries its own melody, and this is one of the best on the album, and the keyboards get a lift in the mix for the first time. Honestly, the keyboards slowly emerge over the course of the CD, but I would love to hear them play a more prominent role. “Jigsaw� is a schizophrenic track, it opens with a 90’s grunge approach, and my least favorite vocal on the album, but it then evolves into a Pink Floyd influenced jam in the second half, with an awesome saxophone solo played over some atmospheric keyboards and guitar, one of my other favorite musical moments. “Wings II: Beyond Horizons� slows things down, a psychedelic pop sound while “Wings III: Icarus� dives deep into that 70’s sound, and features another soaring guitar solo. “Golden� is another head scratcher, the most keyboard heavy track on the album, a very poppy (almost dance like) opening, but the song seems to rock harder as it progresses.

I really like the music, driving, heavy, and rocking. My rating would be higher based on the music, which I really enjoyed, but I can’t get past the vocals. I think fans of 70’s hard rock should give Monstereo a try, fun music to crank up!

Track Listing

1. Third Eye Seeing
2. A Sudden Rush
3. Wings I: Everlasting Darkness
4. Jigsaw
5. Witness
6. Wings II: Beyond Horizons
7. Wings III: Icarus
8. Golden

Added: August 4th 2021
Reviewer: Eric Porter
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 1093
Language: english

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