It was only a few weeks ago that British prog-djent virtuosos Monuments released their latest album (and first as a four-piece and with new lead singer Andy Cizek) In Stasis to rave reviews. Playing their first run of shows in over two years, they descended upon London’s imposing Islington Assembly Hall as part of a UK tour to promote it.
First up are Kill the Lights, a transatlantic quintet featuring former members of, among others, Bullet for My Valentine and Still Remains. Their style is, true to the members’ roots, a mixture of melodic metalcore and traditional heavy metal which brings associations with BFMV, Killswitch Engage and Trivium. The songs are energetic and anthemic, but prone to playing it a little safe with the established formulas of the subgenre. Their newest single ‘Dead From the Start’ is one of the best songs in the set, while closer ‘The Faceless’ is a rapid-fire speed metal cut, with its chorus at the optimal pace and rhythm for a crowd bounce-along. With forty minutes of tight melodic metal, Kill the Lights warm up the crowd and get the pit moving.
The headliners Monuments enter straight into fifth gear with ‘Cardinal Red’ – one of the singles from In Stasis, which instantly showcases their dynamism and technicality. Non-album single ‘Animus’ is another early highlight, with its angular main riff, catchy chorus and one of their most memorable guitar solos.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Watching the musicians in Monuments play is a feast for the senses, leaving you little option but to marvel at them. Drummer Mike Malyan performs with such unadulterated joy and a wide grin on his face, a tilt of the head pre-empting by a split second where his hands are about to follow to fit in a couple of tasteful cymbal hits. Guitarist John Browne makes such quick and frequent jumps up and down the neck of his guitar, that you have to wonder if an irresistible magnetic force makes sure that his fingers always land at the correct frets. Bassist Adam Swan is the final piece of the instrumental puzzle, laying down deep grooves and richly ornamented licks on his five-string bass.
Rising above the luscious instrumentation, vocalist Andy Cizek is nothing short of a phenomenon behind the microphone. One would often forgive a singer who combines harsh and clean vocals for being slightly more comfortable with one style than the other, but no such cutting of slack is necessary with Cizek – his range, precision and versatility are jaw-droppingly good. He switches between vocal styles at a second’s notice, blending deep guttural growls into angelic-pop highs and back into throat-frying high screams. Having set a high bar for himself with the challenging parts he laid down in the studio, he clears it with ease – it is a masterclass in vocal control and flair.
All this talent on show makes for an exhilarating show which sounds even more energetic and tighter than on the record. If playing music were a video game, Monuments would be winning on Impossible mode without taking a single hit of damage. But do not think that you’ll have time for a chinstroking appreciation session of their virtuosic performance, lest you are swept away in the whirlwind of a circle pit. Their songs come at you at breathless pace, and frontman Andy Cizek hypes the crowd up with relentless energy. He crowdsurfs without missing a syllable of his lyrics, and at one point gets people to prop him upright and proceeds to walk across platforms made up of audience members’ hands – like a Poseidon in full command of the ocean of bodies beneath him.
A one-song encore in ‘I, The Creator’ drains what was left in the tank for band and crowd, rounding off a breathtaking hour of music. You would not for a second guess that this band has not toured in a while. It takes seeing Monuments live to fully appreciate the scale of their talent, and you would be well advised to not miss them.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Photos by Pavel Kondov
Monuments: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
Kill The Lights: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
