Monolord

Monolord is a Swedish doom metal band from Gothenburg, active since 2013. The group’s core line-up consists of Thomas V. Jäger on vocals and guitars, Esben Willems on drums, and Mika Häkki on bass, with Vemod also listed as a member. Their music sits in doom metal and stoner rock, and they are also associated with stoner metal, sludge, stoner doom metal, and stoner doom.

Background and sound

Monolord forms around a heavy, low-tuned style built on dense riffs and slow, weighty grooves. Thomas V. Jäger describes the band’s aim as creating a “massive wall of rumbling sound,” and says the group draws on dark, heavy, gritty music from three different backgrounds. He also says the tension between those different influences shapes the band’s music.

Releases and reception

The band’s debut album, Empress Rising, appears on RidingEasy Records and brings them wider attention after its release in 2014. The record receives strong notice from the metal press, including praise from Decibel Magazine, New Noise Magazine, and This Is Not A Scene, and the band becomes a regular presence near the top of Bandcamp’s Doom chart.

Monolord then develops the sound further on its second album, Vænir. The album is recorded in the band’s rehearsal space soon after Empress Rising, with the group personally producing it and Esben handling mixing and mastering. Its tracks include “Cursing the One,” “We Will Burn,” “Died A Million Times,” “The Cosmic Silence,” and the title track.

In 2016, the band releases the two-track EP Lord Of Suffering / Die In Haze, which is noted for its heavily low-tuned riffs and compact length.

Touring and festivals

After Vænir, Monolord tours extensively in the United States and Europe, also performing in Australia and New Zealand. The band appears at a range of festivals, including Hellfest, Freak Valley, Desertfest in Belgium, London and Berlin, and Blowup in Finland.

Lyrical themes

Thomas V. Jäger says the lyrics focus on misanthropy and on what he sees as the dark core of humanity. He points to religion, greed and power as recurring concerns, and describes the band as a “safety valve” and an outlet for destructive surroundings.