Monolord return with their fourth full-length epic, bringing more Doom and shifting, heavy riffs, shaking the Earth to its foundations. This is a dense, thick record, the band sticking with the template of their first two offerings, not really branching out much, keeping the fans happy but also adding a few little touches here and there to distinguish No Comfort from their past works.
The best word to describe this entire opus is Epic. They start the album with a nine-minute track, plop a nine-minute track right in the middle, and end it with a ten-minute track. Of the three remaining tracks, only one (barely) comes in under five minutes. This gives the band lots of space to let those Riffs resonate, to buzz and fuzz and shiver. The quieter parts (like the beginning of Larvae and closer No Comfort) really allow the heavier parts to shine even more. This band understands dynamics and pacing. As far as something different, the Wizard would suggest there’s some touches of Prog here and there, and a willingness to let the songs breathe a little bit more. Again, this isn’t some radical change from their past output, but they slightly enhance these qualities and this gives No Comfort an identity all its own.
Glacial, palatial, and spacial, this album by Monolord is more of the same by the Swedish Doom merchants. They further refine their sound, honing in on what makes them so great and delivering the goods with amazing skill. This is a damned fine record and one worth your time and your dollars, especially if you’re a Doom fan. Dig in and feast upon the music that will bring you No Comfort.
Four Wands out of Five
The Wizard Has Spoken!