█░ ░█▓ ▄▄▄ ░██ ▄▄▄ ▀█▄▄▄_____▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ ▀██░▓██▓██▀ ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄_____▄▄▄█▀ ▀██████████▄▄ ▀▀█▄ ▀██▓████▀ ▄█▀▀ ▄▄██████████▀ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀███▄ ░▀█▄ ███████ ▄█▀░ ▄███▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ▀███▄ ░█▄ ░█████▓ ▄█░ ▄███▀ ▀███▄▒▀█ █████ █▀▒▄███▀ ▀███▓██ ▓███▓ ██▓███▀ ░██████ ███ ██████░ ░███░██ ░███░ ██░███░ ▓██████ ░███░ ██████▓ ▄▄▄ ▀███░██▄▓███▓▄██░███▀ ▄▄▄ ▄██▒▀█ ▓███░▓███████▓░███▓ █▀▒██░ ▄███▒ █▓ ███▓████ ████▓███ ▓█ ▒███▓ ▓███▓ █░ ░▓█████▄░▄ ▄█████▓░ ░█ ▓███▓ ░████▒ █░ ▄████▓▀███▒███▀▓████▄ ░█ ▒████▓ ▓████▓░ █▀████▄░██░ █ █▓█ ░██▓▄████▀█ ░▓█████░ ░██████▓ ▀▓ ▀████████░▀███▀░████████▀ ▓▀ ▓███████▓ ▓███████░ █░ ░████▄██▄███▄██▄████▓ ░█ ░█████████░ ▄░████████▓ █▓ ▓████▀██▓██▀████▓ ▓█ ▓█████████▓ ░█░██████████▓ █ ░██▄░█▓ ██▓▄██▓ █ ▓███████████░ ▓█▒███████████░█░ █████░ ▓█████ ░█░████████████▓ ▄██▓███████████▓█▓ ░███▄ █████▓ ▓█▓█████████████░ ▄█ █▄████████████▓█ ▓████▀█████░ █▓██████████████▓ █ █▀ ▓█████████████▓ ▄▀▀▓██▀ ▀███▓▀▄░ ▓█████████████████ █░▓▀▀░██████████████▄▀▀░▓▓▓█▄█▀███▓▓▓░▀▀▄██████████████████░ ▀█▀ █████████████▀░ ▀▀▀█░██░ ███▓█▀▀▀ ░░████████████████▓ █▓▄ ▓███████████░ ▓ ▓█▒░▓█▓ ▓ ░████████████████ █░■ ▓█████████▓ ▄▓▓░▄▓░██▓██ ▄░▓▓▄ ▓████████████████▓ ▓█▓░ ░███████▓▓██ ░▓ ▀███▀░ ▓░ ▄▓██████████████████ ░███░■ ▓████░ ░██ ▓█░ ████░▀███████████████░ ▓███▓░■ ░▀▀▓ ▄░▓█▓ ▀ ▓█▓░░▀▄▀██████████████░ ░█████▓░ ▓░ ▄█▓▓██░ ░ ░█▓ ░▄██████████████▓ ▓██████▓░ ░ ░░▓▓█████▓░█ ░▓░ █░▓███▓░ ░▓██████████████ ░████████▄░ ▄░▄▄████████▓▓░░▄▄█████▄░░▓▓█████▓░ ░░█████████████░ ▓██████████▄▄██████████████████ ░█▄████████████░▓▓▓▓▀███████████░ ▓█████████████████████████░▄▀█░ ▓█▀▄▓██████████▓ ▓░░░██████████░ ░██████████████████████████░ ▄██░▓██▄ ▓██████████▄░ ▓ ░█████████▓ ▓██████████████░▓██████████ ▓█░▀██▀▓█ ████████████▓ ░ ▓█████████░ ▓███████████████░ ▓██████▀░▀▄ ███░▓██▀░█▓▀██████████▓░ ░ ▓████████▓ ░███████████████∩░ ░█▓███░ ▓▄█▄░▀█░▓▀░▄██▓ ░▀████████▀▓▓ ▓ █████████ ▓████████████▓▓░ ░ε █▓░ ▓████▄▓▄▀ ▄█████▄ ░▓██████ ▀▄░▓■░▀▀██████░ ░███████████▓░▒ ▄▄▄█▄▄▓██████▀░▄█▓░█████▓▄█▀▀▀█▄ ▀█ ■ __▀███▓ ▓██████████▀░ ░ ▄█▀ ░░▓▀▀▀████░ ▄▀██░░████▀▀ε░░▄▄██▓ █▓ ▄_██████ ░██████████▓ █▓▄████▄▄ ░▀██░ █░▓█▒▓█▀▀▓▓░░░▀▀████▓ █▄▀░▓▒█████░ ▓██████▓▒█▀ ░ ▄███▓▓░░▀▀█▄ ░█▄░ █▓█▓█▀▓▄██▀▓▓▓▓▓▓███░ █░▄█▓▓████▓ ░█████▓█▒░∩ ▄██▓▓▓▓▀█▄▓░ ▀█▄ ▀▀█████▄██▀▓ ▓▒░ ░▒▓▓██▓░ ▀▀ ▀▒░███▓ ▓████░█░ ░ ██▓░░░▒░▒ ▀█▄▓░ ▀█▄▄░▓▄███▓ ▓ ░▒▓▓██▓░ ░ ▀█████░ ░█████▓░∩ ██▓░░ ▒░ ▀█▄░ ▀██████▓░░ ▓░ ░ ░▒▓▓██▓ ░▀████▓ ▓████▓∩ ░ ▓█▓▒░ ░░ █▄▓ ░▒▓██▓░ ░░▄▄▄▄▄ ░▒▓▓██░ ░ ▓ ▓████░ ░████░ ░ ░█▓▒░ ░▒▀█▓█████▓░░░ ▄█▀▀▄ ▀▀▀ ░░▓██░ ▓ ░░███▓ ▓█▒▓ ░██▓░░ ░▒▓▀██████▓▄█▀░ ▄▀▀▀█▄· ░░▒▓▓█▓ ▓███░ █░∩ ░ ▓██▓▒░░ ░▒▓▓▀████▀▓▓░▄█▄██▄░░▒░░▒▒▓▓█▓ ░ `░▓█▒ ░∩ ▓ ▓███▓▓▒░░ ░▒▓▄██ ▀ ██████████≥░▄▓▓▓▓██░░ ░▓█▓ ▓█████▓▓▒░░ ░▒▓▓▄██▓▄▒ ░▓████████▄▄_▀█████░ ▓█ ░▓███████▓▓░░▀▀▀▀██████▀░█▓░▓▀▀▀▀██████████▓░ ░ ░ ▓█████████▓▓░░▄▄███▀▒████▓░▄▄░ ░▄▒▓▄███▓░ ░████████████████▄█████▀▀▀▀██████████▓▒ ░ ▓███████████████████▀░░ ░ ░▒▓▓██▀██▒░ ░ ░ ██████████████████▄▄█▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄██▓░ ░ ▓ ▓ ████████████████████████████████▓▓░ ░▓█████████████████████████████▓░ ░▓▓██████████████████████████▓░ ░ ░█████████████████████░████████▓░ ░███████████████████████████▓████▓░ ▓████████████████████████████████▓▓░ ▄░▓███████▓▓▓▓░░▓██▒███████████████▓██▓█░ ▓██████▓██▓░░░ ░▒█ █▒████████████▓██████▓░ ░▓█████▓▓░░█▓ ░ ░ ▒▓██▓█████▓█▓████▓██░████▓░ ░███████▓░░ ▓ ░ ▒█ ███▓██████░▓██▓████████▓░ ▄█████░▓█ ░ ░ ░▒▒█░███░██▓█▓██ █░█░██▓█████▓ ▒█▓███▓█ ░ ░ ░░▒██▓██ ██▓██▓█░█░ ████░█▀███▄ ░▓████▓░ ▓█░░░█ ░█▒░█▒░▒ █ ██░█▀████████▓░ ▒███▀█▓░ ░ ▓ ░ ▀█▀▀░░░ ░█░█ ▓ ▓ ░ ░▒▓█▀███▒ ░██▄█▓░ ░ ▓ ░░░ ░ ░ ░ ▓▓█▄██░ █▓█▓░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░▓█▓█ ▓███░ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ▓ ░███▓ ▓█░█ ░ ░ ░ ░ ░ █░█▓ ░█▒█ █▒█░ ░█▒█ Artist ■ Argile █▒█░ ░ █▒█ Album ■ Monumental Monolith █▒█ ░ ░█░█ Year ■ 2010 █░█░ █░█ Release Date ■ 2014-02-09 █░█ █░█ Genre ■ Death Metal █░█ █ █ Label ■ Holy Records █ █ █░█ Source ■ CD █░█ █ █ Type ■ Limited Edition █ █ █░█ Quality ■ VBR, 44.1kHz, Joint Stereo █░█ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ Argile is a band founded in the late 90s by the two leading █ █ █ █ members of Misanthrope (Fra), and which for almost a decade █ █ █ █ summed up to its rather dull debut album The Monotonous █ █ █ █ Moment of a Monologue before the guys decided to give it █ █ █ █ another try. Indeed, the will of presenting Monumental █ █ █ █ Monolith as a sequel of the aforementioned record is █ █ █ █ obvious: same (ridiculous?) MON- alliteration in the title, █ █ █ █ similar artwork including the golden CD, printed lyrics █ █ █ █ again limited to short excerpts and citations common to █ █ █ █ both works (e.g. in the title track, or the general outro). █ █ █ █ Musically-wise however, the present opus is probably better █ █ █ █ than its predecessor. Of course it still reeks a bit too █ █ █ █ much of Misanthrope û Gael FΘret, MisanthropeÆs current █ █ █ █ drummer, has now joined as well... û but at least it sounds █ █ █ █ more like an genuine, coherent work than like a collection █ █ █ █ of throwaway ideas which didnÆt make it on the mother █ █ █ █ bandÆs albums. Besides, the little promotional speech on █ █ █ █ the slipcase is quite eloquent: ...For nostalgic Doom Metal █ █ █ █ people into darkness, etc.. Notice this word, nostalgic. █ █ █ █ The guysÆ purpose becomes obvious: coming back to █ █ █ █ MisanthropeÆs roots, recording a strongly doom-influenced █ █ █ █ album with a so-called retro, early 90s sound; in this █ █ █ █ respect the choice of a Celtic Frost cover seems extremely █ █ █ █ significant. The problem being, as with most retro- █ █ █ █ material, if itÆs intended to sound as in the early 90s, it █ █ █ █ still does NOT sound as in the early 90s û for the sole █ █ █ █ reason itÆs been recorded in 2010. █ █ █ █ Not to say itÆs bad. The production for instance could █ █ █ █ hardly have been better, strikingly sober when compared to █ █ █ █ the overblown recordings from the mother band, with a nice █ █ █ █ metallic sound of the bass, Steve Harris-fashion, a bass █ █ █ █ always extremely present and almost overmixed on tracks █ █ █ █ like The Fallen Angel or Christ BJD; but knowing █ █ █ █ Jean-Jacques MorΘac he couldnÆt have tolerated to be █ █ █ █ relegated in the background anyway. The total absence of █ █ █ █ keyboards has to be noticed as well, contrasting with the █ █ █ █ previous album. As for the musiciansÆ intrinsic qualities, █ █ █ █ theyÆre beyond question, and no one will probably complain █ █ █ █ if they chose to give up their usual showiness and somehow █ █ █ █ gratuitous display of virtuosity for a while. Of course SAS █ █ █ █ de lÆArgiliΦreÆs occasional deliquescent clean voice will █ █ █ █ always be a hit-or-miss (more a miss than a hit as far as █ █ █ █ IÆm concerned), but at least he doesnÆt abuse of it and █ █ █ █ most of time sticks to the standard harsh melodeath voice █ █ █ █ heÆs extensively using nowadays. █ █ █ █ The songwriting will thus be the most disputable point. █ █ █ █ Again, the deliberate will from a band whoÆs turned a bit █ █ █ █ too modern in its last two full-lengths to record an █ █ █ █ old-school doom metal album with early 90s Swedish death █ █ █ █ metal influences can be understandable, but itÆs a perilous █ █ █ █ exercise almost doomed (no pun intended) to at least half █ █ █ █ of a failure. Such an exercise leading, naturally, to a █ █ █ █ primarily riffs-based album, but when you think about it, █ █ █ █ how many of said riffs are really memorable? ItÆs █ █ █ █ symptomatic the most noticeable, inspired parts of this █ █ █ █ Monumental Monolith are actually the guitar solos... a █ █ █ █ rough half of them being played by a guest musician. Apart █ █ █ █ from those, too often the band seems to resort to gross, █ █ █ █ elementary filling sections as in the repetitive middle █ █ █ █ part of Mistress of the Night, resulting in an overall █ █ █ █ plodding album where the occasional acoustic parts (the █ █ █ █ intro of the title track, or in LuciferÆs Scepter) appear █ █ █ █ like a breeze of fresh air. Besides some well-found ideas █ █ █ █ would have deserved being taken a step further, like this █ █ █ █ rock nÆ roll scream in Christ BJD û Oh, yeah!.. Come on... █ █ █ █ LetÆs go! û with no real equivalent in the whole mother █ █ █ █ bandÆs discography. █ █ █ █ If you listen to this old Misanthrope album called Miracles █ █ █ █ û Totem Taboo you may notice songs constituting the 3rd █ █ █ █ part of said album offer several similarities with the █ █ █ █ material featured here, production set aside. Miracles... █ █ █ █ as a 1994 album stands at its proper time and place. █ █ █ █ Monumental Monolith, on the other hand, has been intended █ █ █ █ to sound out of time, but canÆt prevent itself from █ █ █ █ sounding out of place. Do you like doom? YouÆll like it. I █ █ █ █ like it. Still the title appears pretty delusive. █ █ █ █ █ █ █ █ Highlights: Monumental Monolith, Christ B.J.D. █ █ █ █ █ █ █░█ █░█ █ █ 1. Requiem Aeternitas 2:08 █ █ █ █ 2. Fangs of Wrath 4:54 █ █ █ █ 3. Monumental Monolith 6:45 █ █ █ █ 4. Fallen Angel 5:16 █ █ █ █ 5. Mesmerized (Celtic Frost cover) 3:34 █ █ █ █ 6. Lucifer' Scepter 5:53 █ █ █ █ 7. Ill Venomous Anorexia 5:46 █ █ █ █ 8. Christ B.J.D 5:38 █ █ █ █ 9. Mistress of the Night 6:33 █ █ █ █ 10. Nostalgia Tragoedia Serenata 1:49 █ █ █ █ 48:16 █ █ █░█░ █░█░ █░█░ █░█░ █░█▒ + G R a v e W i s h + █░█▒ ░█▒█▒ - est.2000 - ░█▒█▒ ░█▓█▓░ ████▄▄ ▄▄▄████ ░█▓█▓░ ▒▓██▓▓░ ░██████████▄▄ ▄▄██████████▒ ▒▓██▓▓░ ▓█▓██▒▓██▒ ██▓ ▓██████████▓░ ▓██ ▒▄▄▓▒██▓█▓ ▓██▄██▓▄█░██ ░██▓ ▓██ ▄█░█▄▓██▄██▓ ░███ ████▀██░█ ░██░▀███████████▀▓██ █░██▀████ ███░ ▓██ ███ ▀█░█ ██ ░██ █████████ ░██ ██ █░█▀ ███ ██▓ ██░ ▀ █░█▓ ███ ▓█░ ███████ ░██ ███░ ▓█░█ ▀ ░██ ▓█░▄ ███ █▓█░ ░█░███ ▓█ ██████ ██ ███ ██ ░█▓█ ███ ▄░█▓ ░██░▄ ██░██▓█ █ ░█████ ▓█ █████ ░█ ████░ █ █▓██░██ ▄░██░ ▓███░▄ ███░█▄ ██ ░▓█████ █░ ████ ██ █████░ ██ ▄█░███ ▄░███▓ ░ ▀██░▀▀████░▓█▄ █ █░░▓█████ ▀█ ███ █░ █████▓░ █ █ ▄█▓░████▀▀░██▀ ░ ▒ ▀████▓▀███░██▄ ██ ░███ ░░▓█████ ███ ████▓▓░ ███░ ██ ▄██▓███▀▓████▀ ▒ ░ ▓ ███░▓█ ██ ███████ ░░▓▓░ ███ ░▓▓░░ ███████ ██ █▓░███ ▓ ░ ░ ░ ▀████PR█ ████████████████████████████████ █ ████▀ ░ ░ ░ ▓▓ █ ████████████████████████████████ █ ▓▓ ░ ▒ █ █████████ ░▓▓░ ███ ░▓░ █████████ █ ▒ ░ ██ █████░ ░▓████░ ███ ░███▓▓ ░█████ ██ ░ ██ █ ░████░ ▄█ ███ █▄░████▓░ █ ██ ░ █ ████▓ █░ █████ ░█ ▓████░ █ ░ █ ███▓▓░ █▓ █████ █▄ ▓███░ █▄ █▓███░ █▀ ██████▒ ▀█░ ▓███ █ ████▓░ ██ ███████ ██░ ░████ ██▓ ██ █████████ ██ ░██ █▓░ ██ ▄███████████▄░██ ░█ ██░ ░██ ██░ ▓██████████░ ▓██ ███▓██████▀▀ ▀▀██████████▒ ████▀▀▀ ▀▀▀████