LIVE REVIEW: Monuments @ Factory 251, Manchester
MONUMENTS have been a firm favourite in the UK tech metal circuit for some time now. Thanks to their catchy brand of progressive metal, the quintet have enjoyed steady success on home soil. After an agonising four year wait since the release of 2014’s The Amanuensis, the band returned in October with the glistening Phronesis. Now, the attention turns to touring and as they enter the intimate setting of Factory 251 in Manchester with VOLA, KADINJA and ATLAS along for the ride, anticipation is rife as to whether MONUMENTS can capitalise on their momentum.
Finland’s ATLAS have the task of kicking off proceedings, and despite the venue being far from populated, the quartet proceed to inject as much energy as physically possible to those who are looking on. Dense riffs full of bounce come thick and fast from guitarists Tuomas Kurikka and Aleksi Viinikka and the interchanging harsh to clean vocals from Patrik Nuorteva and bassist Leevi Luoto definitely align to the traits associated with metalcore. Whilst their energy on stage was more than apparent and each member deliver in their respective department, the underlying problem surrounding ATLAS is that their sound is nothing particularly new. Every cliché and characteristic one associates with metalcore made an appearance here, and when metalcore has been flogged like a dead horse, some originality is screaming to be included. Not a terrible set by any means but one that will unfortunately lack any memorability.
Rating: 6/10
KADINJA have experienced somewhat of an explosion in the tech metal scene. Last year’s Ascendancy announced the band onto the scene in the best possible fashion and now, penning a deal with Nuclear Blast/Arising Empire and a new album on the horizon, the ball is very much in their court to capitalise on their surging momentum. And they achieved just that as the band gave a performance of impeccable quality. Guitarists Pierre Danel and Quentin Godet provided ample riffs of dizzying skill, flowing from the delicate leads of Glhf to the neck-snapping ferocity of the speedy ‘Til The Ground Disappears. Bassist Steve Tréguier and drummer Morgan Berthet kept the rhythm moving organically and at the heart of their technical flurries vocalist Philippe Charny Dewandre excelled with his razor-sharp growls and soaring cleans. New material from their upcoming record Super 90′ sounded superb in the live setting and sat comfortably to the material lifted from Ascendancy, showing that the future is very bright for the band. It was a performance of sheer excellence and judging by the beaming smile on Dewandre‘s face upon their conclusion, KADINJA can rest assured that have more than made their mark.
Rating: 9/10
VOLA are a difficult band to categorise. With their seamless blend of varying sounds, to categorise the Danish quartet as just another progressive rock band would indeed be doing them a disservice. Indeed such confusion may cause some who love to categorise sub-genres a headache, but live, what transpires is that VOLA excel at bringing their expansive soundscape to the live environment. Martin Werner‘s keyboards infuse with the dense riffs of Asger Mygrind‘s guitars as Smartfriend kicks off the set, showcasing that the band do have a heavier edge to their more accessible soaring sound. With the tone heavy, one might expect the band to follow down that path of shock and awe, but VOLA just aren’t that type of band. Ebbing and flowing from the synth-laden charms of Alien Shivers to the triumphant earworm that is Ghosts, material from their latest effort, Applause From A Distant Crowd, sounds even more impressive live and that especially applies to Mygrind who more than delivers with his vocal deliveries. Having been a firm favourite in the scene brings its own challenges but here, VOLA more than justified the hype and gave a fitting performance, one that certainly matched their musical prowess on record.
Rating: 8/10
Just a cursory glance across the now packed venue shows that tonight is all about MONUMENTS. Whilst the previous bands had enjoyed a steady flow of people coming through the doors, for tonight’s headliners, Factory 251 is now full and ready and as they dive into the explosive opening salvo of A.W.O.L and the crowd proceed to lose their collective shit, it’s clear that MONUMENTS have won their affection just one song in. From there, the intensity rarely dips as the progressive metallers flex their muscles and showcase their class. John Browne and Olly Steele continuously deploy mind-bogglingly complex riffs that swirl from the tech-driven flurries of I, The Creator to the chugging Leviathan that keep the crowd bouncing whilst drummer Daniel Lang and bassist Adam Swan operate like a machine, keeping the band’s momentum flowing naturally.
With each member of the band performing solidly, vocalist and frontman Chris Barretto was performing like his life depended on it and it was a pleasure to witness. His harsh vocals were delivered to pin-point precision, resulting in the room replicating a warzone, and he excels with his cleans as he soars on the hooks of Mirror Image and nails the harmonies on Regenerate. And whilst his vocals are certainly impressive, his stage presence is only bolstered by his impeccable charisma. Holding the audience in the palm of his hand, humorous banter is delivered effectively and his commands for movement are executed with absolute authority, Barretto is in his element on the live stage. Coming into this tour MONUMENTS would have hoped to capitalise on their momentum following the release of Phronesis, and as Degenerate serves to be an explosive final bout, they can rest assured that the momentum is only going to build from here. A solid, tight and thoroughly enjoyable performance.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Manchester from Laura McCarthy here:
