Mono – Snowdrop
Mono – Snowdrop
Temporary Residence
Release date: 12/06/26
Review by Oli Gonzalez
9/10
Mono. One of the final frontiers. Along with Explosions In The Sky, This Will Destroy You, and God Is An Astronaut, Japan’s Mono are one of those God-tier post-rock bands I’ve just never got around to listening to. Having played every stage and every festival worth playing, Mono aim to prove that they’re still going strong in the studio with their latest effort “Snowdrop,” and follow-up to “Oath”. Though “Snowdrop” will carry more emotional depth and weight than usual, giving the tragic loss of esteemed producer and long-time friend Steve Albini, with the band not knowing that “Oath” would be the final album produced with him. To capture the emotional depth necessary for this behemoth task, the band hired a 10-piece orchestra and an 8-piece choir, something you just simply can’t replicate with synths.
The likes of ‘Bells Of Ireland’ are the perfect illustration to capture that depth and weight. Delicate and intricate melodies that still bear a colossal weight and gravity. The interplay between the strings and piano appears to be more minimalistic; the space left between each note is just as important than what occupies the spaces. The strings are prominent once again in ‘Gerbera’. Opulent and warm, they remain in a hypnotic, groovy pattern, one designed to build intrigue and tension along with the introduction of drums. All aiding in building towards a huge crescendo. Mono keeps you waiting for it. They keep teasing for this cathartic release. Then it comes. It’s glorious. Divine. Euphoric. You can feel the burdens of everyday life and stressors of the day lifted as the climax to the song is huge and awe-inspiring. It was a journey to get here, but worth it! You want to talk about journeys, though? The album’s title track, ‘Snowdrop,’ is a voyage that ebbs and flows between a myriad of textures and varying dynamics from gentle and caressing through to crushing walls of distortion!
The melodic foundations laid down here are expanded upon during songs like ‘Farewell To Spring’. The piano and strings take a backseat as it’s undoubtedly the lead guitar that shines here, gleaming in a dazzling, awe-inspiring chorus for the song. Introspective as it is addictive, it demands to be play played again and again. If this wasn’t emotionally potent enough, the introduction of the choir adds an extra sense of urgency and drama to proceedings.
After being dealt a potent emotional cocktail like this, you need a song that can cool you down. The calm and ambient opening to ‘Hedera’ provides this, though the dynamics shift after the 90-second mark to faster and more urgent, all leading to a glorious guitar-led climax to the song once again. ‘Shion’ also teases at being the calmer song of the album, especially in the introduction of the song. Though this is another opulent and cathartic number, with huge atmospheric shoegazey guitars soaring majestically above the hypnotic rhythm section at the song’s zenith.
I could go on and on describing what’s wonderful about this album. But let’s talk about metrics. Some albums I struggle to get through in full. If I listen to it twice, then it’s decent. Anything more than that, then it’s going to be pretty good. As I’m writing this, I’m well into double figures now and can’t see that stopping anytime soon. This may well be my album of the year. How it’s taken me so long to discover Mono, I’ll never know. I thought I had completed post-rock. Then Mono came and completely shattered what I thought I knew about the genre and opened my eyes to phenomenal and brilliant new avenues!
TRACK LISTING
- Snowdrop
- Winter Daphne
- Gerbera
- Statice
- Hedera
- Shion
- Bells Of Ireland
- Farewell To Spring
LINKS
https://www.facebook.com/monoofjapan
https://www.instagram.com/monoofjapan/
Disclaimer: This review is solely the property of Oli Gonzalez and Ever Metal, with photos used with kind permission of Necroshons. It is strictly forbidden to copy any part of this review, unless you have the strict permission of both parties. Failure to adhere to this will be treated as plagiarism and will be reported to the relevant authorities.
