Album Review: Monumentum Damnati – In the Tomb of a Forgotten King

You have to say that Monumentum Damnati have created one of the best names for a band. It caught my eye enough to pull it from our enormous review pile and check it out. They’re billed as an international act with the major players all hailing from Eastern Europe, with their actual identities (which is not uncommon with some of these projects) being hidden by pseudonyms and scary masks.

Very much focusing on the doomier end of the death metal spectrum, the songs are slow but melodic. Each one a head-nodder as opposed to head-banger there’s a lot to enjoy here, but it’s not the kind of music to get a live crowd going mental. While some bands go for the grand or epic sound, Monumentum Damnati’s is more toned down and intimate. The album as a whole is well produced and the six musicians involved – whoever they are – certainly know what they’re doing.

While I definitely enjoyed listening to the album as a whole, it was individual sequences that stood out rather than entire songs. The guitar refrain during “Falling Snow”, for instance – loved it. The intro to “Sleepless Anger” actually reminded me of Pantera, due to the simple riff and clean tones, and it leads well into the main song. The keyboards throughout are great. I often find they’re either over- or under-used, but they’ve absolutely nailed them on this album.

Maybe it’s the genre, but I didn’t really find myself swept away with In the Tomb of a Forgotten King overall. Musically it’s great, and I very much enjoyed having it on as something to listen to, but it’s not one I think I’d be coming back to often. Having said that, it’s undoubtedly well crafted and I do suggest checking it out if melodic doom/death is your kind of thing.

Monumentum Damnati: facebook | instagram | vk | youtube | bandcamp

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