Sweden – Monolord, “the towering doom trio that’s torn its way through the international heavy-music circuit over the last several years”, return with their enthusiastically-awaited fifth album, “Your Time To Shine” on Oct. 29 via Relapse Records. Today, Monolord shares the second single “I’ll Be Damned” which was recorded in drummer Esben Willems’ newly founded recording space, Studio Berserk. Listen to “I’ll Be Damned” below.
Never ones to shy away from sharp social commentary, whether it’s about the global climate crisis, the destructive nature of religion, or the isolation endured during the pandemic, Willems says of the new collection: “To me, it’s an honest representation of how I feel about the current state of humanity.”
Musically, the album sees the Swedish trio cultivating the elements that take their monstrous, heavy riffing to new heights with a darker edge. A five-track journey that spans across crushing doom rock to more spacey, groove laden opuses, “Your Time To Shine” is Monolord at their most unfiltered and focused.
You can also watch “The Weary” music video (directed by David Brodsky for MyGoodEye LLC) below.
“Your Time To Shine” tracklist:
1. The Weary
2. To Each Their Own
3. I’ll Be Damned
4. Your Time To Shine
5. The Siren Of Yersinia
“Your Time To Shine” pre-orders are available now (physical; digital). The album is available in the following formats: standard vinyl (Kelly green), CD, cassette, and digitally, as well as a smörgåsbord of limited-edition vinyl variants.
Monolord has simultaneously announced a U.S. tour, with the coast-to-coast run kicking off on March 3. The dates (listed below) are on-sale now with all performances supported by Firebreather. A European trek is slated for this November with Blackwater Holylight opening those dates.
Formed in Gothenburg in 2013, Monolord quickly burst onto the scene releasing three critically-acclaimed full-lengths in a four year span (“Empress Rising”, “Vænir” and “Rust”) on RidingEasy Records all while touring relentlessly around the globe. The band made their Relapse Records debut, unveiling the transcendent No Comfort in late 2019. Monolord is a rare breed: A band both encompassing and transcending genre; a vortex of heavy rock density that consumes all others. The band’s enveloping, syrupy sludge is a state of mind, with guitarist/vocalist Thomas Jäger, drummer Esben Willems and bassist Mika Häkki create a massive, dynamic sound with ultra-low frequencies serving as its fourth member.
