Artist: Monumentum
Country: Italy
Label: Displeased Records
Formats: CD
Year: 2009
It remains a mystery to me why Monumentum never gained a wider following. This is their 1995 debut, which was originally intended for release on Euronymous’ (Mayhem) cult label Deathlike Silence but ultimately came out on Misanthropy Records. This followed the release of a split 7″ with Rotting Christ on Obscure Plasma, which would later evolve into Avantgarde Records, run by the man behind Monumentum, Robbert Mammarella.
The band’s musical direction was also a bit unclear in the beginning. After the release of the split EP with Rotting Christ and the background of their own Obscure Plasma label (including the first Eucharist 7“ and Mayhem’s ”Live In Leipzig” LP), extreme metal was expected. Now Monumentum is marketed as a doom metal classic, but that’s not really correct either. The (doom) metal content on this album is fairly small, but the album did bridge the gap between doom metal and darkwave/gothic, making it a precursor to what would later become a more common cross-pollination. Fans of darkwave/gothic will probably appreciate this more than doom metal enthusiasts. Similarities can be found with acts such as Ataraxia (not surprising, with the same singer in the ranks) and Canaan, also from Italy. However, Monumentum remains alone at the top, leaving these acts far behind.
But what does it sound like? Pale, light doom/darkwave with a very gloomy touch, built up from layers of distinct guitar sounds, keyboards, and strange vocals (both male and female). The drawn-out songs (not in duration, but in structure) contribute to the uncomfortable feeling that this album evokes. Not an easy listen, but definitely worth it for fans of the aforementioned acts and lovers of the more experimental releases from labels such as Firebox/Firedoom.
This re-release is definitely worth checking out and comes with an extra bonus track and updated artwork. It’s a shame that it was difficult to obtain for so many years, but now it’s widely available again, so grab your copy while you can.
