Monera
Homework

March 2008
Released: 2008, Self released
Rating: 4.0/5
Reviewer: Hanntu

Yet another surprising band this month (see my Dark Mass review), something different from my usual playlist. This is Monera from Belgrade, Serbia, and they describe themselves as grunge + metal + rock. I’d hesitate to use the ‘grunge’ term especially on a metal website, as it conjures up memories of whiny-ass manic depressives in checked shirts strumming 4 chords on crappy guitars. Monera goes beyond that.



They play some good straight-up rock with metal tinged riffs. If you think of a slightly more uptempo Black Label Society, I think that sort of describes 50% of Monera. It’s catchy as hell and fun! There is definitely NO lack of guitar solos, but the music itself defies categorisation. There’s some cute acoustic passages that really add to the rich textures of the album. Jaksa’s voice is dreamy in parts, strong in others, and angsty without being annoyingly emotional.



For a self-produced album, the sound on this album is nothing short of amazing. Everything is in its place: the guitars provide a backdrop to the vocals which aren’t too loud or too soft, and the bass and drums drive it along nicely. I really like it.



Well, I wouldn’t say I’d described this band perfectly, or even at all. All I can say is that when I need a break from my pounding death metal or thrash, I’ll pop Monera on and give my ears a rest. Check them out.