Tuesday: Monuments - I, the Destroyer

     Speaking of djent, as I was last time out, there are still lots of bands doing decent enough djent to warrant attention. Sure, it's a sound that's become oversaturated in the marketplace (to put it in high falutin' talk) but, as I've said before and will say again, there's absolutely nothing wrong with djent done well.

     And as I've also said before,  Monuments know how to do this kind of thing properly. Their 2014 disc The Amaneunsis is chock full of studies in the kind of big riffs and grooves that I consider prime djenty goodness, and I've featured several tracks from it in the past. But if you need further convincing that this particular subgenre shouldn't be exclusively maligned, check out "I, the Destroyer", and prepare to get, well, destroyed.

Tuesday: Monuments - Jinn

     Let's keep the groove train we started with "yesterday's" Lamb of God song going with some more big riffing, this time from across the pond.

     Also, this time swap Lamb of God's aggro groove for one a little proggier and, yes, a little djentier too. If you don't let the "D" word stop you -- and you shouldn't, you rebel you -- you might be pleasantly surprised with the Brits in Monuments. If, of course, you're already familiar with Monuments, then you know what we're dealing with here, and you know it's better than I'm making it sound right now.

     In any case, just listen to "Jinn" from Monuments' 2014 sophomore album The Amaneunsis and be convinced that Monuments can groove with the best of them. Just try to listen to this one without bobbing your head at some point. I dare you. Double dog dare? No, that's just crazy talk.

Thursday: Monuments - Origin of Escape

     I've got some serious catching up to do after the last couple of days, so let's get right to it, shall we? For starters, have you heard the new Monuments record yet? If grooves are your thing, the answer should most definitely be yes.

     I've written about British prog band Monuments before, and even featured a song from the new record The Amanuensis back before it was released. But now that it's out and I've had some more time to chew on it, I feel it's time once again to shine some light on these British djentlemen.

     "Origin of Escape" is the second track from the recently released The Amanuensis, and it's a good example of the kind of heavy grooving Monuments are capable of. And while, as I often say, the wheel isn't being reinvented here, The Amaneunsis definitely sees Monuments upping their game: there's more of everything to like this time out -- riffs, grooves, you name it -- and Chris Barretto's vocal performances are confident and powerful. Have a listen to "Origin of Escape" and hear for yourself.