Monolithe’s, er, monolithically titled third album is a 52-minute construction that swerves between the intensely boring and incredibly interesting. Unfortunately for the French four-piece, long and drawn-out ‘Damn, is it over yet?’ moments outnumber the ‘Holy crap!’ ones.
Richard Loudin’s vocals are deep and raspy and complement the darker undertones of Monolithe III quite succinctly, but it’s frustrating that this massive track is left to flounder in the realms of tedium around the more aggressive passages, because when it’s good, it’s really bloody good.
Monolithe have some intriguing little movements of sound in here, and there are cases where Loudin’s voice takes on the weight of the entire world. It’s possible that he might even be the best thing about this record as it’s only when that hoarse voice is present that Monolithe III feels like a complete work. It’s a shame, and it may be because Monolithe have been away for some time, but this effort is just not coherent enough to wholly impress.
