IMPLANT PENTRU REFUZ - Monolith

Hehe! Here I am, in a rather awkward position about this Monolith from the Timisoara-based band Implant pentru Refuz. I must admit that I have known them rather from live shows and less from focused listening. As they tend to do a great job in gigs, I had expected the same to hold true for the CD that entered my player. Well, this was not the case. First, its seems that “at a mental level” I tend not to identify that much with the hardcore/metalcore/crossover combination. Geez, these are some style names :). Second, although the production is clockwork perfect, the album feels too long. That’s the way it is, don’t shoot the reviewer.
What I find annoying about my own reaction is that I like and I dislike Monolith for exactly the same things: voice, riffs, bass and message. I find the voices to be too “childish” at times, and most of the riffs wear out their initial impact too soon. I like the cover, and the idea of forming a message with the 10 whispers between the 11 songs is interesting. I know, it’s complicated, not to mention that the order needs to be changed to get the right result. An extra plus for the jazzy feel on Apus and for Mental and 3.80. Good luck in the future!

(+): cover, production, Apus and the lyrics
(-): voices, meanness is lost at certain times

SkyDancer Nota: 8