The Monolith Deathcult — Tetragrammaton
I'm all for comedy in metal. It seems that of all the genres, metal takes itself the most seriously, so comedy is a welcome sight (sound?). When reading about the Dutch band The Monolith Deathcult, the first thing mentioned is their sense of humor. Being unfamiliar with their previous three releases, I was ready to experience Tetragrammaton and all its metal and comedy glory. The metal is definitely there, but where is the comedy? Maybe I'm too old to understand the vocals or maybe I just wasn't paying close enough attention. Maybe I'm just simple. Gimme S.O.D. or Cannibal Corpse any day. I get those jokes.
In reality, though, anyone checking out a band like The Monolith Deathcult is doing so for the music. This is a solid death metal album with really excellent production. While I can't always get down with most of the modern metal acts, they almost always have crisp production, so it isn't a total loss. I'm kinda torn on Tetragrammaton, though. It sounds great, the fellas are talented musicians, but I don't find the album working for me. The first issue is the length of each song. The shortest song is 6:24...this is death metal!!! Make it fast, quick, and brutal. Don't give me time to get bored of the riff or beat. This leads to the second issue, the time allows the songs to wander too much. I don't feel it's progressive or experimental when it seems like two songs are smashed together. Thirdly, lose the campy, sci-fi voiceover. When I want that, I'll listen to Powerman 5000.
The positives on Tetragrammaton are enough, though, to (almost) balance out the negatives. I already mentioned the production. Any mud you find on this is purely intentional. The instruments are all very well played. When the boys get into their metal chops, you definitely feel it. The opener, "Gods Among Insects," starts the album off really well. The solid, grandiose death metal really sets the tone. The drums blaze, the guitars hit a rad buzzsaw pace, and the vocals are nice and rough. The solos on Tetragrammaton are a highlight. Half of them seem a bit brief, but they make the most of their time. There's an excellent and quite long solo on the closer, "ASLIMU!!!" Another cool aspect of The Monolith Deathcult is their use of a keyboard. Thankfully, they eschew the goofy approach that black metal bands take. The Middle Eastern synth notes in "Qasr Al-Nihaya" not only help to thicken the sound, but also to reinforce the tone and subject matter.
Tetragrammaton is an ok album. It's definitely worth a listen, as the music is good and the production is clean. I don't see myself revisiting it, though, as the songs are overlong and tend to wear out the parts that make them sparkle.