By Monk
Every now and again, an album comes along that marks a defining moment in time in a band’s career. ‘Monarch’ is just such an album for Ireland’s Raum Kingdom: not only is it their last ever recorded offering, but it’s entire raison d’être is to be a tribute to the memory of bass player Ronan Connor, who passed away in March 2021. The remaining trio of members – singer Dave Lee, guitarist Andrew Colohan and drummer Mark Gilchrist – wanted to release their what had, as a result, turned out to be their last recordings and writings together as a respectful remembrance of their friend and musical comrade.
I must admit that, to my shame, I was unfamiliar with these fellow inhabitants of the Emerald Isle until this coda: yes, I had seen their name on gig posters and listings, but I don’t believe I ever managed to catch them live: this is something which I now deeply regret, as ‘Monarch’ is a fitting testament to the passing of a tremendously talented outfit, and a more than apt tribute to the sonic legacy they leave behind.
Raum Kingdom deliver a sound that is as bleak and barren, yet equally as rich and vibrant, as the eastern half of the land of eternal rain. Dense aural experiences cascade in and around one another, subtle alacrity colliding with bombastic, even denser crescendo, in between which eerie, ethereal melodies dance in the fires of late-night shamanic aural rituals. Tidal waves of bleak despair crash into towering cliffs of pummeling, droning progressive sludge, all mixed up in an intoxicating cocktail that is by turns as entrancing as it is emotive, melodic as it is atmospheric. Imagine Muse jamming with Neurosis and you’re somewhere near the recipe melded and mixed together here.
‘Monarch’ could be seen as something of an ironic release, symbolizing as it does the massive potential of an group of artists who had that potential nipped in the bud in the most cruel of fashions. While drawing a line under an episode in their collective and individual histories, I hope it is just the close of one chapter and the preface to another, as it would be a real shame to see these highly talented musicians turning over a new page and embarking on another story line.
- ‘Monarch’ is released on 27 January. You can get your copy HERE.
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