Monday 27 April 2009

Review - Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind

Mono - Hymn To The Immortal Wind

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9 out of 10

It's been a long time since an album absolutely floored me. Mono’s latest did just that. "Hymn To The Immortal Wind" takes Mono’s majestic, guitar assault and pitches it against the largest chamber orchestra they have used, and the results are beautiful. Anyone familiar with Mono and their previous work will completely understand where they are coming from on this one but still be impressed, nay, blown away with the results.

Each track is an epic in its own right with Mono pulling back on the distortion (of which they never fully employed) and anchoring their sound to the orchestra as they twist and turn around every peak and phrase. It is such an amazing thing to hear and Steve Albini has worked wonders on the spacing of it all, allowing a clarity and space into what could have been a muddled sound.
Taken as a whole there are simply not enough words to describe the swelling, dramatic feel of this album. Listened to with attention this will become one of the albums of the year, no doubt.

Listen: www.myspace.com/mono

Tracklist:
1. Ashes In The Snow
2. Burial At Sea
3. Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn
4. Pure As Snow (Trails Of The Winter Storm)
5. Follow The Map
6. The Battle To Heaven
7. Everlasting Light

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