Monuments - A.W.O.L.

This article has been a long time coming. I'm a huge Monuments fan - their 2014 album The Amanuensis is by no uncertain terms one of my favourite albums of all time. Four years on and we finally have a taste of the 3rd issue in the Monuments catalogue. I have to say it feels great to be writing about the next record and the first sight of Phronesis that we've been gifted is this - A.W.O.L.

From the soft, building, atmospheric intro with its driving war-like drums, to the dark and bouncy outro; my god are they back. The song is a fierce reminder of everything that Monuments can bring to the table - Bursting at the seams with technical riffs that are both impressively elaborate and beautifully melodic to the ear. It has everything.

John Browne and his counterpart Olly Steele are two of the best guitarists around at present, both brilliantly inventive in their writing, and it shows, even in a relatively straight forward track - no structural "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL"'s but just good all fashioned metalcore.

Lyrically not as creative as in the past, but altogether more direct - not a bad thing by any means. We have here a plea for help and mercy from some cruel oppression. The directness of the lyrics allow for Chris Barretto to unleash all facets of his powerful and dynamic voice, able to switch from his angelic (whilst sorrowful) singing voice to the raw and unrelenting strength of his scream. He's a veritable powerhouse and a great example to any aspiring vocalist of both the roles which can be balanced between the same voice. 

A great start to what's to follow. We may have to wait until October for the full album but it will be worth the wait - if A.W.O.L. is anything to go by then Phronesis promises to be packed with depth, character, intrigue and most importantly riffs that will blow your mind.

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4sEXcolEy0