Monument - Renegades (2014)

Monument - Renegades (2014)

MONUMENT has gone from strength to strength in the last year or so. From the recording of the superbly well received EP “Rock The Night” to their last single “Runaway” the band has been dominating the proving grounds of the London music scene. Fresh off their UK tour with WHITE WIZZARD, the band put the finishing touches on their debut album Renegades. Filled with some mighty new tracks and some beefed up version of the EP classics, this is an album that will please fans of both classic and modern metal, with fantastic musicianship all around.

The album opens up with title track “Renegades”. With a lightning fast introductory riff and stabbing bass and drums involved, we are then re-introduced to the powerful vocals of Peter Ellis with some ridiculously high notes harmonized to the maximum. This is a great start to the album, with a catchy chorus full of attitude, to the harmonized lead guitars and epic breakdown later on. There are some recognizable tracks from the band’s past here too, in that the entirety of the “Rock The Night” EP is included here. Now, some may say this is a lazy move but it really isn’t here, as the tracks have been re-recorded with the current lineup, with the increased clarity and power in the mix and overall massive improvement that makes it a worthwhile endeavor for the listener and the band.

The new tracks on the album include lead single “Runaway” and the second single “Crusaders”. I have already reviewed “Runaway” before but to summarize, it’s a grooving track with a DEEP PURPLE vibe in the guitar and a real catchy chorus. Crusaders is a cool track with a real old school SAXON meets IRON MAIDEN feel to it, with a galloping main riff and a some awesome solos later on. “Red Dragon” is the instrumental track for the album, and it has a very old school feel to it, like something from one of the first two IRON MAIDEN albums with a bit more musical knowhow thrown into the mix. Lots of furious drumming on this one and some awesome guitar harmonies make for a great track here.

“Save Me” is the closest thing to a ballad on the album, with a sombre opening riff with clean guitars and some tasty bass played. A powerful chorus makes this a track to remember, with some awesome emotive lyrics and a great mid-section later on. “Omega” closes the album, beginning with “X Factor” era MAIDEN vibes that leads to an a super powerful sounding main riff. The chorus here is one of my favourites on the album, with a really great sound to it with plenty of bite.

The production is absolutely world class here. Everything is really well recorded and mixed by Akis K, a producer who’s profile is raising to the point of nigh on legendary status in the UK scene; the drum sound he has achieved is simply mind blowing on this album and the overall mastering by Scott Atkins has given it that extra push too.

Overall, this really is as good as it gets right now. The second wave of British Heavy Metal really is rising over the country and we are seeing it take hold in other countries too. With “Renegades”, MONUMENT are going to take the scene by storm yet again, and things are about to be shaken up by this album.

Tracklist:
1. Renegades
2. Fatal Attack
3. Crusaders
4. Runaway
5. Midnight Queen
6. Red Dragon
7. Carry On
8. Rock The Night
9. Save Me
10. Omega

mp3 320 kbps

TKP

password : nymph