Respect for Past and Present - Bones, Monochrome

We all thought we had these guys figured out after their absolutely DISGUSTINGLY good first release, Leave It All Behind, but my god did they throw us for a loop with this new track, Bones. I was braced for impact, arms glued to the sides of my seat, and I get hit with the lovechild of grunge and... shoegaze?!

The initial reaction was one of shock and nostalgia for me, mainly because the guitar intro sounds a lot like Nutshell by Alice in Chains - one of my favourite tearjerkers. Although the song does smack you round the face when the rest of the band come in, I find it's still reminiscent of those old grunge ballads, as if paying homage to one of the main roots of metal. As someone who was introduced to the heavy world through bands like Soundgarden and Green River, this sentiment really stuck with me, as I'm sure it does for other metalheads.

Just because this track has taken an altogether softer tone, that doesn't mean that it's missing out on the pure FILTH that Monochrome are known for. The mix overall is super gritty and crunchy, making everything combine together really well at a first glance, but upon closer inspection, you can define different adlibs and counter-melodies as they come and go. The drums and bass show brilliant restraint in this track, emphasising the key beats and leaving the guitars to fill most of the space and add the flavour throughout instrumental sections. Another one of Monochrome's staples is a halftime breakdown, and they managed to add a tiny yet effective round in this song whilst barely changing the composition of the section it's a part of - no Monochrome song is complete without a halftime change!

The main part that gives the song a breath of fresh air is that vocal stuck right in the middle of the mix. The breath coming with the low verse lines mixes in with the tone of the rest of the band, which creates loads of space for Eliza to step up in the mix to grab your attention in other sections. Some people might be waiting for that thick, full-bodied scream that she is known for, but I think the band have done the track justice by leaving it out for this one - the scream would be too jagged of a sound to fit with the rest of the track.

I have to say, this article has been an absolute joy to write. This is one of the strongest new bands I've heard from in a long time - not only in terms of production, but also as a live act. With a ballad like this juxtaposing one HELL of a first release, I can't wait to see what sound these guys go for next. One thing's for certain, I'm expecting these guys to have a hell of a lot of variety in their future discography. Be sure to give them a follow on insta @_monochr0me .