Review by Sonny for Monolord - No Comfort (2019)

This latest from Monolord, their fourth full-length, kicks off in familiar style with the opening riff of The Bastard Son. It soon becomes apparent though, that there are a few slight changes on this album. The vocals are mixed a bit higher than their usual disembodied, washed-out sound, although they still can't be accused of being "in your face". Also at about the halfway point, the opener's heavy, plodding riff gives way to a cleaner section that kind of marks time for a couple of minutes before returning to the earlier heaviness. Next track, The Last Leaf, is probably as near as a band like Monolord get to being "catchy" with it's psych-doom influence. Larvae is up next and is probably my favourite track, with a gentle opening and quirky-sounding riff that gradually gets heavier until it's gritty, filthy-sounding ending, that is the best moment on the album. This is followed by the album's two weakest tracks, Skywards and All Alone Together, but faith is restored by the title track, which is a doom(ed) monster and a great ending to the album with it's dirge-like, painfully mournful sound.

I understand that a band like Monolord probably feel the need to stretch out a bit by album four but, to be honest, I loved them just the way they were so, consequently, this is my least favoured of their albums. It is by no means a bad album and many will enjoy the expansion of their sound, I'm sure, but I still think Vaenir will stand as their tour-de-force.