Self Released
Genre: Doom
The French doom act MONOLITHE was never much on impressive titles (it a pattern that kinda runs with many French extreme bands). While waiting to put together their third opus of dark atmospheric doom Monolithe III, which will come out on Debemur Morti Productions maybe later this year, the band created two in-between EPs. The first was Interlude Premier released in 2007. This is obviously the second part which is two long, mostly instrumental with some vocals, cuts, titled Harmony of Null Matter - Section 1 and Section 2, to fill your mind with thoughts of misery and gloom. Some people like to call MONOLITHE's sound funeral doom. Personally I don't think the patient has red lined just yet. In fact it's still comatose but the mind is in the throes of dying definitely. This is the kind of music you listen to late at night when you're curled up in bed with a Lovecraft book and a spider.
Rating: 3/5
Official: http://www.monolithe.free.fr/
Bandcamp: http://monolithe.bandcamp.com/album/interlude-second-ep
Listenable Records
Genre: Death Thrash
When it comes to French extreme metal my appreciation for their black metal scene is well known especially from doing SFM666. Also in the past few years I've come to like their more abrasive and caustic post rock underground acts. But when it comes to their tech death or progressive material like this well I'd rather be stuck on a French Foreign Legion post on movie night. I'll just get this out of the way quickly and state for the record that I hate MESHUGGAH and all bands similar to their style. OUTCAST falls into that category but for the purposes of a review I'll forget my bias and give a run down.
On this, the French band's third full length, you will be greeted and pummeled by jazzy mathcore grooves, chugging breakdowns (there's hardly any soloing), barked gruff and semi clean vocals, plenty of progressive tempos which flow into melodies suitable for shoegazing (big surprise there) plus a piano ditty "Awaken the Reason" which seeped into PINK FLOYD territory. I wanted to slit my wrists right around that time which was the fourth song in. Even though I find this abysmal there's no dismissing their creativeness as well as talent in laying down aggressive neck snapping beats. Someone out there likes this stuff.
Rating: 3/5
Label: http://www.listenable.net/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/outcastofficial
