Monarch! had already started to peel away the veil covering their upcoming record «Never Forever» by releasing second track «Song To The Void» a while ago (you can listen to it on Profound Lore’s bandcamp). That short and admittedly beautiful song, we’re talking about a band that as put a one hour song as their side of a split afterall, might have lead one to believe that their eight full-length would steer away from the long drawn out doom drone dirges that we’ve come to associated them with. Nonsense, as album opener, «Of Night, With Knives», which you can hear below, proves.

There is nevertheless a point in which this all ties perfectly with «Song To The Void», and that’s in the sumptuous array of emotions conveyed by front woman Emilie Bresson. There’s a harrowing sense of ritualised dread prevailing these songs, regardless of the harshness or beauty employed in the vocal delivery.

«Never Forever» is set for release by Profound Lore on September 22.

Credits:  band photography on top of the page by John Gallardo.