Customer Reviews

Monuments

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's amazing how much garbage has been released in the metal/hardcore scene over the past couple of years. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this release. I haven't thoroughly enjoyed an album this much in a few years. These guys have all the pieces of the puzzle, and this is honestly one of the best albums of 2008. And I just found out about them a few weeks ago.

With a name like This or the Apocalypse, I was expecting another trend rider of a band, throwing breakdowns around and pointlessly growling into the microphone. I was mistaken. The music is complicated, layered and heavy. This is the type of album it takes two ears to listen with, meaning you can't just stick one headphone in and start playing it. There's too much going on at once. And they handle it masterfully.

This is not a deathcore album. It's heavy, but it's very melodic. In fact it rides the melody instead of relying on being just plain brutal. The vocals are absolutely perfect for the music. Instead of forcing himself against the music, the vocalist screams with the music, creating perfect harmony with it. They faded the vocals against each other very well creating a layered sound. The vocalist doesn't have a lot of range, but he doesn't exactly need it. It doesn't feel like he's trying to impress anyone with how low or high he can get his voice. He's just going with the music.

The opener "No Horizons" pretty much sets the tone for the entire album. While it's not the best track on the album, it gives a good feel for how the albums will sound. It's pretty catchy, but I wasn't overly impressed when I first heard it. As soon as it hit "Monuments" I had a feeling that this album was going to be better than I thought. If you need a track to convince you to buy this album, listen to "Monuments." I wouldn't say it is the best song on the album, but it's the best song to start out with by far. It draws you in immediately and never lets up throughout.

After hitting off tracks like "Architeuthis" I didn't think it would get much better. Let me just say, the chose the perfect track to end this album with. It belongs nowhere else but the end. It's powerful, beautiful and feels epic. "Elegiac" is a tremendous track, and after listening to it, you'll have a hard time switching to another CD because of how impactful it is. I love it when bands end their CDs like this. It is absolutely perfect.

I have only one problem with this album and that's the rather fruitless track "Memento Mori." I understand what they were trying to do. It's is a peaceful track to rest from the dissonance of the others. But it really isn't that well done, and after listening to the rest of the album, I know they could've done better. It falls flat as a instrumental track.

Other than that, there isn't a lot wrong with this album. If you're a metal/hardcore fan this is definitely an album you have to check out. It's not incredibly original, but at the same time, I don't feel like it's really been done before. They have the breakdowns and the heaviness, but they don't go overboard with it. They just play the music, and that's what's important.

If you ever took a chance on an album from a band that you've never heard of, this is that album. I hope these guys get more popular because their way better than half the total crap that's out there. I honestly believe this is one of if not THE best album of 2008. Hell, even if you count 2007 AND 2008, this CD is one of the top.

There isn't much else to say. This album is such a powerful piece of work. If you get a chance go see these guys live, you won't regret it.

This album is loud and full of sounds, throughout the entire range of your speakers. It sounds methodical while melodious. Haunts what's left is very much out of character if this albums is what they were like. Not the packaged sound you'd expect. Just another band trying to make it's way in the world.

Wow. This or the Apocalypse definitely wanted to make a statement with their debut record. And boy does "Monuments" make that statement.

TOTA comes out of the gates with their guns blazing on the roaring opener "No Horizons" and never looks back. They have it all together. Technical, heavy guitar riffs (but not of the goofy br00tal variety), insanely complex drumming, and vocals that completely command the listeners attention. And this is only their first album.

Their name is kind of deceiving because it sounds like the typical screamo-posthardcore-metalcore-hairdyed-tightpantswearing-nonsense that has been so overabundant in today's music scene. However this band is in no way the typical stereotype. In fact like I said, they're probably one of the better bands still left in this quickly decaying genre.

Their sound has a lot of different elements. While they are heavy, they're not just out there trying to sound brutal. There's a very cohesive nature to their sound. Compositions are excellently put together, and there aren't any moments where the listener would feel like "that just doesn't make sense." While they do feature breakdowns in their music, they're not overabundant. You can easily tell this band doesn't rely on "mosh" to sell their music. In fact the best parts of the cd are the energetic, melodic guitar riffs that run rapid throughout the course of the disc. Just check out "Monuments" and my personal favorite track "Mauna Kea."

This is absolutely one of the best cds you can pick up if you're a fan of metalcore still. And it really is hard to find records like this today, when so many bands are either turning into deathcore clones or just trying way to hard to get popular (i.e. any band which features melodic signing in their choruses). "Monuments" comes with my highest recommendation, especially if you are a fan of this style.