Monuments [Live Review – The Boileroom, Guildford, 15/8/2016]

The past twelve months have not been kind to Monuments. One year ago, vocalist Chris Barretto was almost sidelined with vocal nodules, taking the stage with sax in hand, replacing words with winning melodies. Drummer Anup Sastry came and went amid North American tour issues, and for this show the granite-solid Daniel Lang of Red Enemy laid the foundations for some of the finest tech-metal you’re likely to ever hear.

Monuments may have experienced their fair share of issues, but on the strength of this super-intimate show, their musicianship and professionalism have not been affected. The first time I had the chance to see Monuments, I missed most of their set due to events involving a religious evangelist, a prostitute, a bellicose homeless man and a cramped McDonald’s toilet; the second involved the aforementioned vocal nodules and sax replacement. So up until this set, I’d never seen the minds, fingers, limbs and vocal cords behind The Amanuensis in no-holds-barred action.

It was worth the wait.

Bar the tiniest of nitpicky imperfections, this was the kind of show every Monuments fan wishes they could experience. The Boileroom is a 250-capacity room, perfect for getting up close and personal with whoever happens to grace the venue’s stage. Although Monuments obviously have a lot of precisely-nailed shows behind them, this was not just a peak performance, but one that proved these guys are ready to step it up still further.

You want the set list, right? Origins Of Escape, Degenerate, Quasimodo, Atlas, Garden Of Sankhara, Empty Vessels Make The Most Noise, a quick piss break for guitarist John Browne (booed unfairly for his trouble), Regenerate (yep, with the now-traditional everybody-kneel-down-and-jump-the-fuck-up-and-go-mental section), and I, The Creator. Throw in some ridiculous pits, crowdsurfers, Chris Barretto walking on the ceiling while supported by Monuments supporters, one post-set “MONUMENTS!” chant, and a path to the door defined by spots where sweat wasn’t dripping from the ceiling…and there you have it.

Immensity.

As Monuments have already made clear, this show was part of their last live run before starting to finish their third album, the follow-up to 2014’s The Amanuensis. Frankly, the moment someone threw their credit card onstage said it all. When the time comes, there will be a fair few people screaming “TAKE MY MONEY!” – and Monuments absolutely deserve to receive your hard-earned cash.

For now, this is as good as tech-metal gets.

For now.

TMMP RATING: 100% (If you have a time machine to hand, go back to this. Then go back a bit further and see the dinosaurs.)

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Posted on 17 August 2016