(We forced Andy Synn to listen to the new album from The Monolith Deathcult)
Our long-running relationship with Dutch deviants The Monolith Deathcult has been well-documented by now,
We’ve been friends, we’ve been enemies… and then there was that unfortunate incident where we all swapped brains… but our love for the band’s music has never waned.
The problem, of course, is that this means it’s impossible for us to be objective, or even pretend to be objective, about their new album – no matter what we say or do, whether we praise it or criticise it, someone is always going to find a way to dismiss what we say, regardless of whether it confirms or refutes their own biases.
But, as you may already have guessed, I still really wanted to write something about The Demon Who Makes Trophies of Men (which officially comes out tomorrow)… so what was I to do?
Well, rather than format this like a “traditional” review (which probably wouldn’t be appropriate anyway, as The Monolith Deathcult have never been a “traditional” sort of band, and The Demon… isn’t exactly what a “traditional” album, seeing as how three of the tracks are reworkings/re-recordings of some of the group’s older material and more than half of the songs have been pre-released as digital singles) I’ve decided to simply go through it, track by track, and share my uncensored, and potentially libellous, opinions as they come to me.
The Demon Who Makes Trophies of Men
If you haven’t already guessed… yes, it’s about one of the best movies of all time, and yes, it rules.
Sure, the band sometimes go a bit too far with the quotes and samples (the weird “bring the beat back” one in particular is utterly incongruous) but they’re clearly having a lot of fun with this one (who doesn’t love hearing a bunch of burly riffs and bombastic symphonics interspersed with the occasional “Get to the choppa!“?) and the way they actually incorporate some of the original orchestral score (that shift at 02:30 is fantastic) is sure to put a massive grin on your face if you’re a Predator fan (and, if you’re not… what’s wrong with you?).
Commanders Encircled With Foes
Now, as much as I enjoy it when TMDC play up the more absurd and OTT aspects of their sound, I’m also a big fan of when they take things a little more seriously, and the Handmaid’s Tale-inspired “Commanders Encircled With Foes” is one of the darkest – yet also catchiest – tracks they’ve done in a while, and the dual-vocal attack of Robin Kok and Michiel Dekker gives the alternately growled/snarled lyrics – which are very much worth checking out in their own right – an added dash of both venom and panache.
Kindertodeslied MMXXIV
Long-time fans will be pleased to hear that “Kindertodeslied MMXXIV”, the first of the album’s “reworked” tracks, doesn’t make any truly significant changes to the original – sure, it’s got a longer (and, arguably, better) intro, but that doesn’t alter the massive, Ministry-influenced fundamentals of the song – in favour of simply giving it a fresh new coat of paint and some extra sonic (and electronic) heft, resulting in a more muscular, steroid-enhanced version of the song which, controversially, I might actual prefer over the previous version!
The Nightmare Corpse-City of R’lyeh
Probably the only real misfire on the album – for me anyway – “The Nightmare Corpse-City of R’lyeh” is interesting enough on first listen, especially since it appears to resurrect the late-lamented Orson Welles to enunciate passages from “The Call of Cthulhu” over a hideous amalgam of doomy riffs and sinister symphonics, but doesn’t really have the staying power to keep me coming back to it. Your mileage may vary, however!
Gogmagog
Of the three reworkings/re-recordings “Gogmagog” (AKA “The Bryansk Forest Revisited”) is the most significantly altered/updated, not just in terms of mixing/production but also by the addition of some extra lead guitar madness courtesy of Carsten Altena (who continues to prove he’s not just a pretty face) and even more of the band’s signature brand of OTT electro-orchestral excess.
Perhaps even more important is the updating of the song’s lyrics to reflect the current war in Ukraine, which successfully modernises it without sanitising it… which is no easy feat.
Matador
The suitably beefy grooves of “Matador” prove that, contrary to popular opinion, The Monolith Deathcult are more than capable of delivering the goods in a more succinct and straight-to-the-point format, while also packing in just as many clever touches (both the moody synth work and truly excellent drumming help elevate the track to an even higher level) as they do in their more complex and convoluted compositions.
And while I’ve seen a few complaints that the song is overly-simplistic as a result (it’s definitely not, it’s just that there’s a lot going on under the surface) I, for one, find the song’s focus on gargantuanly groovy (almost Obituary-esque) riffs makes it one of the album’s clear highlights.
Three-Headed Death Machine
TMDC have never been afraid of a bit of self-referential self-aggrandisement, that’s for sure, and while “Three-Headed Death Machine” doesn’t ever ascend to the same ridiculous heights of “S.A.D.M.”, its bass-driven, electro-propelled pulse and repetitive “Death Cult!” hook certainly make an impression (whether it’s a good one or a bad one is more up to you, however).
I Spew Thee out of My Mouth MMXXIII
Last, but by no means least, the album ends with a re-recording of one of the band’s best tracks – which is both a blessing and a curse, as while it’s pretty damn cool to hear TMDC go even more cinematic and extravagant (and, I have to admit, despite – or possibly because of – the passage of the years, both Kok and Dekker sound better than ever) the fact that the original was already so good makes it hard to actually improve on it.
Though I’ll be damned if they haven’t given it a good try, with the thicker bass-tone and more expansive/expanded production both helping this version stand out from (and possibly above) its already phenomenal predecessor.
The Demon Who Makes Trophies of Men is officially released tomorrow, and well worth your time and money, in my opinion.
But, then, I would say that, wouldn’t I?