Review: Monkey3 ‘Welcome To The Machine’
Having put an impressive twenty years into soaring instrumental weaves and mountains, Switzerland’s Monkey3 have returned with their seventh full-length, a none-too-subtle Pink Floyd referencing album titled Welcome To The Machine that was released last week, 23rd February, through Napalm Records.
![Monkey3 'Welcome To The Machine' Artwork](https://www.thesleepingshaman.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Monkey3-Welcome-To-The-Machine.jpg)
In keeping with their mountainous homeland, Monkey3 continue their brand of vocal-less rock combining elements of progressive rock, post-metal and electronic music in a vast sonic vista that stretches for miles. I hadn’t heard them in quite some time and was in the right mood to lie back and listen to an instrumental act.
The theme of the record is something of a familiar one: a conflict between man and machine. Specifically, films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Matrix were used as inspiration (No Terminator though? Come on…someone has to cover that Brad Fidel theme).
The opening track Ignition follows a template that Monkey3 has perfected for a while. It uses crisp opening electronic beats and synths in a manner reminiscent of Boards of Canada before launching into a shimmering and dense barrage of bright guitar tones and propulsive drumming. The ten-minute number is quite lively, but the mix feels almost too bright at times.
combining elements of progressive rock, post-metal and electronic music in a vast sonic vista…
Collision is two tracks in one: A moody mid-tempo drum ‘n’ bass creep and then a hard-hitting riff-fest with some tasty lead shredding and very Faith No More-ish keyboards (who incidentally also have a song called Collision). Kali Yuga reminds me of Justin Broderick’s band Jesu, only with much more varied guitar textures, it hovers between a sense of impending dread and a possible rebirth in keeping with the song title.
Rackman is a catchy space tune that would feel right at home on the soundtrack for Mass Effect. It’s one of the shorter songs on the record but I feel it has a bit more to say as it meanders far less than the others. By contrast, Collapse feels a bit too familiar. Welcome To The Machine is quite dense and boisterous, but there isn’t quite as much variation as I would have liked for a concept album dealing with cyberpunk and space exploration themes.
Monkey3 are very good at what they do. They have a keen ear for melody and the electronic elements are skilfully blended into the arrangements. I did enjoy the album, but as I mentioned the overall concept doesn’t quite shine through, though as an instrumental heavy rock record, it shines very well.
Label: Napalm Records
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Scribed by: Rob Walsh