Don’t let the superfluous capitalization and heavy-sounding moniker fool you. MonstrO might evoke images of zealous head-banging sessions set to earsplitting noise, but the band’s sound is harder to stereotype than that.
MonstrO’s self-titled debut melds traditional psychedelic rock sounds into something surprisingly diverse.
Characterized by an almost perfect sequence of songs, the album starts off with a couple of forgettable tunes and quickly shows its worth with a string of lyrically engaging and decipherable songs.
“Stallone” manifests the heavy aesthetic through lyrics laden with boxing references. “Check with a hook as you bob in and weave / Go on, let’s see you move!”
By introducing much softer vocals, “Olympia” takes the album into dreamlike territory. The lyrics are sometimes whispered and sometimes yelled, but even the yells are softer, sounding out as heartfelt pleas for slumber. These repetitive references to sleep and dreams match the song’s slow, lethargic tempo.
The album’s last and longest track, “April,” is its best in every way. On the surface, it’s filled with complaints about the month’s constant rain, but inklings of lyrical hostility show that there’s probably a double meaning: “You flood the conversation with thunderstorms of lies.”
The song is also the most conservative example of MonstrO’s sound, welcoming those who aren’t accustomed to the shrill and sometime spacey genre.
The album is littered with a few duds, but redemption comes with MonstrO’s marked ability to complement lyrics with sound. Almost every track is both heard and felt through the absolute instruments that manage to translate lyrical meaning into music.
