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Monsterworks - Overhaul review




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Reviewer:
5.0

1 user:
5
Band: Monsterworks
Album: Overhaul
Release date: August 2014


01. Educate The Masses
02. To Do What Must Be Done
03. Overhaul
04. Trial Of The Sentient
05. Penultimate
06. Resolution

Here's the thing about being eclectic; it's only good if you can execute each and every piece with an even level of quality. This...well, I applaud the attempt, but this is like trying to listen to a meth-head explain advanced calculus.

Overhaul is not without its redeeming qualities. In fact, you can almost hear exactly what they're going for. You get the general idea, but somehow, the fact you understand what they're attempting makes it all the more painful to listen to. Take Dream Theater, King Diamond, Tool and Baroness, shake them all together in a Lego-bin of sound, heap on some death & post-metal, then crowbar and scotch tape the whole thing together in a prog package. When would you ever use scotch tape and a crowbar in the same repair/building job?! You wouldn't. It's illogical...much like the structure of Overhaul.

A lot of folks love worshiping any band that's eclectic based on the fact that they're eclectic. Well, they really should take a listen to this. Overhaul might just be the most uncomfortable album I've ever had to listen to. Nothing feels intelligent or thoughtful in design, nor does it have any sort of natural flow. It feels eclectic for the sake of being eclectic, and proggy for the sake of being proggy. Monsterworks is a whole bunch of sounds, structured and written really poorly. It's like taking a piss, reading a magazine and talking on the phone all at the same time; sure, theoretically you could do it, but all three tasks will be performed ineffectively and with poor precision.

If you're into a lot of sounds jumbled together with no purpose, be sure to waste some time on Overhaul.





Written on 25.08.2014 by Former EIC. Now just a reviewer guy.


Comments

Comments: 7   Visited by: 73 users
25.08.2014 - 13:01
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
Based off the track available here - the album isn't nearly as eclectic as you make it out to be...
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25.08.2014 - 15:42
Zap
Guest
Written by LeKiwi on 25.08.2014 at 13:01

Based off the track available here - the album isn't nearly as eclectic as you make it out to be...

Haven't heard this album yet, but judging by their previous releases I would disagree with this review. Sure, the band draws influences from lots of genres, but it never sounds messy or out of place to me. I don't feel like this band is trying to be "eclectic for the sake of being eclectic, and proggy for the sake of being proggy."
Still, it's interesting to see that music can sound so different to different people.
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26.08.2014 - 01:25
Diverge

Thanks, Doc Godin! I thought their first album released this year was about average when I came across it, and you've exactly articulated what's so awful about this band. "Nothing feels intelligent or thoughtful in design, nor does it have any sort of natural flow. It feels eclectic for the sake of being eclectic, and proggy for the sake of being proggy. Monsterworks is a whole bunch of sounds, structured and written really poorly." I cannot agree with you any more. Looks like I won't be checking this bad boy out any time soon!

As for the ludicrous suggestion that this isn't as eclectic as your review makes it out to be...I think it's patently obvious that this is far from conventional metal. Of course, the onus is on LeKiwi to justify his claim that this is more conventional that represented in the review, specifically through bands that sound almost exactly like Monsterworks.
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26.08.2014 - 03:24
LeKiwi
High Fist Prog
Written by Diverge on 26.08.2014 at 01:25

As for the ludicrous suggestion that this isn't as eclectic as your review makes it out to be...I think it's patently obvious that this is far from conventional metal. Of course, the onus is on LeKiwi to justify his claim that this is more conventional that represented in the review, specifically through bands that sound almost exactly like Monsterworks.

Conventional and eclectic aren't mutually exclusive Just listen to the track that's available and make a judgement for yourself.
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26.08.2014 - 12:53
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
I had to review Earth by them (I think it was released in 2013) and wrote the following:

Quote:
There are bands which don't know what sort of music they want to play. That's also the idea I get when I listen to 'Lead & Die' by Monsterworks. I hear pure heavy metal, power metal, thrash metal, alternative metal, but not as a unity but as loose components. One heavy metal song and then a thrash song, etcetera. In itself what the band plays isn't too bad, they clearly have mastery over their instruments and the vocalist also sounds well, but it is all over the place. A bit of focus won't hurt the band. What currently passes by just goes in the one ear and out the other.


So I can totally relate to your review, even though I haven't heard this one yet and also not their previous one from 2014.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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26.08.2014 - 14:41
Zap
Guest
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 26.08.2014 at 12:53

I had to review Earth by them (I think it was released in 2013) and wrote the following:

Quote:
There are bands which don't know what sort of music they want to play. That's also the idea I get when I listen to 'Lead & Die' by Monsterworks. I hear pure heavy metal, power metal, thrash metal, alternative metal, but not as a unity but as loose components. One heavy metal song and then a thrash song, etcetera. In itself what the band plays isn't too bad, they clearly have mastery over their instruments and the vocalist also sounds well, but it is all over the place. A bit of focus won't hurt the band. What currently passes by just goes in the one ear and out the other.


So I can totally relate to your review, even though I haven't heard this one yet and also not their previous one from 2014.

Is that the full review or is there more? I'd be interested to read the rest.
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26.08.2014 - 14:54
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Zap on 26.08.2014 at 14:41


Is that the full review or is there more? I'd be interested to read the rest.


That was it. An extremely short review for it didn't warrant more words
Especially when this was one of the 24 reviews I had to write that month.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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