Excellent psych stoner from the Swiss band Monkey3.
Monkey3 tracks do often occur on Swamp compilations. So I’m posting their self-titled debut album “Monkey3” (2003). I have the later one, “39 Laps” (2006) and Xeno passed the debut album to me. I’m posting the debut album because I feel that it is even more beautiful than the later one.
Over one hour of excellent, solid, atmospheric instrumental psychedelic stoner where the band expresses inspiration from Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, 35007, Pelican … Some tracks also recall somehow sounds heard in Tool’s albums like Aenima: not an imitation but pure enrichment of the sound.
Monkey3 toured Europe playing with acts such as Alabama Thunderpussy, Mono, Honcho, Colour Haze, Los Natas, Dozer, Hypnos 69, Houston swing engine, Sparzanza, Ozric Tentacles, NIN, Brant Björk and the Bros, Leech...
"Switzerland" and "rock 'n' roll" somehow don't seem to belong in one and the same sentence. Thanks to Monkey3, this might be changing. These nine songs (eight originals and the Melvins' "Lividity") might be challenging if you're used to the traditional rock vocabulary, but to my ears they immediately came off as fully realized works by a band that knows how to play and compose. Take the 8-minute "Last Gamuzao,' for instance. While you might consider it another two-parted drone, the band masterfully employs dynamics that warrant comparisons to other instrumental acts such as Karma to Burn (the groove), the mighty Pelican (the deceiving shifts and melodies beneath a surface of sheer heaviness) and the far-outness of Italian doom-mongers Ufomammut, yet manages to conjure up an entirely personal sound. The first part takes its time to develop, combines bottom-heavy near-sludge with spacey effects and ends when the incessant beats shift into the more atmospheric second part that charms you into a trance until you reach the grand and heavy final that is it's logical conclusion. None of the next tracks impressed me as much as this stellar slab of psycostoner (as the band calls it), but the remainder of the band's originals don't disappoint. "Bimbo" does a good job of merging metal riffs with post-rock's refusal to become transparent and ends up being a modernized version of the unlikely merger of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd (something you might also apply to "Darkman's Nose"), the simple-structures and satisfying dark drones of "Electric Mistress" and "35007" (yes, that's a reference to the Dutch band) are much more exciting than most similar bands could ever hope to be, while "Chillao" is a drugged space-jam from the Hawkwind-school of psychedelic heaviness. Two tracks manage to stand out, and for different reasons: "Narcotic Jam" nearly gets a Santana-esque vibe because of its subtly exotic percussion, funky bass-line and stretched notes and yes, it is as good as it sound, but their cover of the Melvins' "Lividity" is needlessly stretched out and a 13-minute test in atmospheric endurance. Luckily, it's the only blemish on an otherwise terrific album that once again confirms the Anglophile countries aren't the only places where it's at. Whether the record industry will react appropriate measures to compensate for this (or at least try to partially restore the ridiculous imbalance) is unlikely, but if it's worth anything, I'll gladly repeat that Monkey3 (that's Boris on guitar, Picasso on bass and Walter in drums) unleashed an excellent soundtrack to your next trip to the moon. Not bad for a few guys from Lausanne. Note: Initially only 1000 copies were pressed, but Belgian label Buzzville re-released the album in 2004. “ (guypetersreviews.com)
Get info from them here
Monkey3 – Monkey3 (2003)
(Thanks to Xeno)
Monkey3 tracks do often occur on Swamp compilations. So I’m posting their self-titled debut album “Monkey3” (2003). I have the later one, “39 Laps” (2006) and Xeno passed the debut album to me. I’m posting the debut album because I feel that it is even more beautiful than the later one.
Over one hour of excellent, solid, atmospheric instrumental psychedelic stoner where the band expresses inspiration from Hawkwind, Pink Floyd, 35007, Pelican … Some tracks also recall somehow sounds heard in Tool’s albums like Aenima: not an imitation but pure enrichment of the sound.
Monkey3 toured Europe playing with acts such as Alabama Thunderpussy, Mono, Honcho, Colour Haze, Los Natas, Dozer, Hypnos 69, Houston swing engine, Sparzanza, Ozric Tentacles, NIN, Brant Björk and the Bros, Leech...
"Switzerland" and "rock 'n' roll" somehow don't seem to belong in one and the same sentence. Thanks to Monkey3, this might be changing. These nine songs (eight originals and the Melvins' "Lividity") might be challenging if you're used to the traditional rock vocabulary, but to my ears they immediately came off as fully realized works by a band that knows how to play and compose. Take the 8-minute "Last Gamuzao,' for instance. While you might consider it another two-parted drone, the band masterfully employs dynamics that warrant comparisons to other instrumental acts such as Karma to Burn (the groove), the mighty Pelican (the deceiving shifts and melodies beneath a surface of sheer heaviness) and the far-outness of Italian doom-mongers Ufomammut, yet manages to conjure up an entirely personal sound. The first part takes its time to develop, combines bottom-heavy near-sludge with spacey effects and ends when the incessant beats shift into the more atmospheric second part that charms you into a trance until you reach the grand and heavy final that is it's logical conclusion. None of the next tracks impressed me as much as this stellar slab of psycostoner (as the band calls it), but the remainder of the band's originals don't disappoint. "Bimbo" does a good job of merging metal riffs with post-rock's refusal to become transparent and ends up being a modernized version of the unlikely merger of Black Sabbath and Pink Floyd (something you might also apply to "Darkman's Nose"), the simple-structures and satisfying dark drones of "Electric Mistress" and "35007" (yes, that's a reference to the Dutch band) are much more exciting than most similar bands could ever hope to be, while "Chillao" is a drugged space-jam from the Hawkwind-school of psychedelic heaviness. Two tracks manage to stand out, and for different reasons: "Narcotic Jam" nearly gets a Santana-esque vibe because of its subtly exotic percussion, funky bass-line and stretched notes and yes, it is as good as it sound, but their cover of the Melvins' "Lividity" is needlessly stretched out and a 13-minute test in atmospheric endurance. Luckily, it's the only blemish on an otherwise terrific album that once again confirms the Anglophile countries aren't the only places where it's at. Whether the record industry will react appropriate measures to compensate for this (or at least try to partially restore the ridiculous imbalance) is unlikely, but if it's worth anything, I'll gladly repeat that Monkey3 (that's Boris on guitar, Picasso on bass and Walter in drums) unleashed an excellent soundtrack to your next trip to the moon. Not bad for a few guys from Lausanne. Note: Initially only 1000 copies were pressed, but Belgian label Buzzville re-released the album in 2004. “ (guypetersreviews.com)
Get info from them here
Monkey3 – Monkey3 (2003)
(Thanks to Xeno)
3 comments:
gonna try, thx
July 10, 2009 3:29 PMriggs (ger)
this is great stuff!!! do you like to upload “39 Laps” either?!? would be nice. thx again dude!
July 11, 2009 8:35 PMriggs (ger)
Thank you! :)
August 7, 2009 10:10 AMPost a Comment