Monolyth is continuously evolving.
Since 2006, the band led by singer Amaury Durand has gone through many lineup changes, and even a break a few years after the release of their first album. 2012 is the year of their second wind, and it’s after a sophomore album that the band completed by Julien Dijoux (guitar), Batt Cauchy (drums), Tristan Mélique (guitar), and Vanessa Housiaux (bass) announces the release of We’ve Caught the Sun, a more modern interpretation marking the fifteen years of Catch the Sun.
The album opens with soothing choruses on The Never Ending Beginning, but calmness is short-lived, as sharp riffs, screams, and catchy modern effects quickly strengthen the sound, which links Thrash, Death, and Metalcore influences. Clean vocals are easily integrated into the heady choruses, which will give way to the charge of The Right to Bleed, an aggressive composition which remains accessible thanks to its catchy mix. The track is quite short, forcing the band to spread all its rage without waiting before a heavy final which leads us to My Blackest Days and its dark leads letting melancholic sounds infiltrate the jerky riffs. Quieter than the previous tracks, the composition allows us to enjoy an efficient rhythmic before letting simpler elements accompany the vocal changes before returning to violence on No Damages. Raw rage and screams come together to create a catchy sound on which we can already see ourselves shaking our heads live while the instrumental is sometimes reinforced with orchestrations, and we have the same approach on Breathe, which also lets the modern sounds diversify its riffs. The track quickly drops us on Insomnia, a very rhythmic composition which also plays on a wide vocal diversity sometimes strengthened by effects, then Wasted will come to draw from other more accessible influences to give an interesting contrast to its violence. The sound is again quite effective before suddenly getting stronger, increasing the intensity before Feed the Light places heavier and more complex tones to give an additional abrasive fix to an energetic sound. Into Speechlessness follows with the same liveliness which wonderfully accompanies the vocalist’s raw screams, but also the more joyful leads which sometimes come to give this heavy composition a dancing side, then it will finally leave us on Wallbanger, a last as aggressive and sharp composition, putting an end to the album while keeping rage alive until the last moment.
Whether you are a faithful or a newcomer in Monolyth’s universe, the band’s rage probably dragged you, and the least we can say is that We’ve Caught the Sun gives it a very effective way of expression!
80/100
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