One of the things that makes Monomakh stand out is his carnivorous flair for crafting remarkably involved and absorbing material before wrenching it through the lowest possible grade equipment he can get his hands on. At least that is what it sounds like on his latest abomination, Triptych. Through degrading the audio quality, it appears as though a perpetual loathing for any creative output is integral to the congenital artistic process; the final construct is required to undergo a state of self sabotage before being released into the public domain.
Indeed, Triptych is the second free release to come from Adelaide’s finest blackened death metal solo act in as little as four months. As with previous bombardments, any feasible detriment caused by external forces stands no threat of impinging on the artist’s innovative bent, for this sickening thrash of blood curdling noise is what made his debut, MMXII, such a barbed and challenging listen. Cale Schmidt, the man responsible for these malevolent undertakings, utilizes his apparently inoperative gear in applying a coarse and resilient texture to his music; the percussion is just as precise as the carefully crafted guitar riffs and gnashing vocals, but each track feels like it was recorded through a battered mic in a darkened corridor, with the musician thrashing these jams out in a boarded up apartment somewhere down the hall.
Whatever the procedure, both albums make for grand examples of what the metal underground has to offer right now and are well worth picking up, if you are into that sort of thing. MMXII and Tryptych are both available for free download at the Monomakh Bandcamp.
• Monomakh: http://monomakh.bandcamp.com
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