Okay, I’m about to go on a rant here, so you may have to excuse me at the onset. Why is a CD being put out of a release from 2018? I can’t tell if it’s a remaster or something special I’m not aware of (simply because it is long out of print – Frank). Now, I’m trying to resist further outbursts about this. Mainly from the fact that I’m not a huge fan of “Revolting Rogga” (his name, not mine) and his myriad of musical endeavors. I knew what I was getting into when I accepted this review. I always hope, or I’m willing to give the benefit of the doubt, and perhaps there may be some distinction between one band and another. I feel for the most part we can all safely agree that the majority of his bands sound much the same, and few really lack any true distinction. I will end the rant here and focus on why we are all here in the first place. The music itself. The band functions has a three-piece, now, I can’t be positive (and I’m not looking up every band of his), but I think this is one of the few where Mr. Johansson handles the vocals as well as the guitar / songwriting duties in this particular band. I myself do own 2011’s “In Grisly Rapture” and for the most part I am generally pleased with it. I’ve heard rumblings of minor fluctuations in the overall style / sound in later releases, but what we continue to have on 2018’s “Monolith Of Madness” is pure DISMEMBER worship, and all songs follow the standard train of thought. Speaking of trains, each and every song follows each other in the same formula and approach. Very little variation is put forth and the songwriting follows the same dynamic from track to track. Listen to song # 1, ‘Blood, Blood, Blood’, it will be pretty much the same on track # 6, ‘March Of The Revolter’, and so on. I will give a nod to the guitar tone though. It is loud and HM-2 pedal friendly; those who seek that particular sound will find it here in spades. Rogga does a suitable impression of Matti Kärki and gives the songs that Swedeath quality. Another small aspect I do enjoy on this particular band is the more prominent use of the D-beat rhythm. It adds a bit of contrast to the overall masses. So, getting to my initial thoughts, if you have one album, you own them all. Granted, the music is not terrible by any means, and there are bright spots scattered amongst the platter at hand. Still, I can’t really see the need for another to be added to the ever-growing pile (especially with his copious additions to that selfsame stack). There are those, I speak of myself as well, who would say we already have DISMEMBER and ENTOMBED, but we also have ENTRAILS, FERAL, RIPPED TO SHREDS, REVEL IN FLESH, CRAWL, MIASMAL… the list goes on and on. Thus, I feel it adds exactly to my point. www.facebook.com/revoltingdeathmetal, www.facebook.com/fdarec

REVOLTING is an established name within the league of bands that (re)represent the Stockholm sound. "Monolith Of Madness" is already their sixth full-length album and follows "Visages Of The Unspeakable" (2015). The sound has a remarkable melodic side to it despite the accent on a heavy crushing sound. If you’re familiar with the music of vocalist / guitarist Rogga Johansson you’ll pretty much know what to expect. The ten songs on "Monolith Of Madness" fit perfectly in. The sound is excellent and well balanced. The tracks all have a fine tempo without falling into blasting overdrive. Impossible to keep your head still while listening. The atmosphere is remarkably stable and keeps lasting throughout the entire album. It’s a kind of safemode in which is played but this benefits the joy of listening. The devotion in which it is performed is contageous with strong vocals by Rogga, reminding of Mikael Åkerfeldt. Real stand-outs aren’t there, but tracks like ‘Procession To The Monolith’, ‘Night Of The Tentacles’ and ‘From Out The Deep’ had a bigger impact than others. The melodies here are a bit rawer and more exciting. This is food for fans of older BLOODBATH, ENTRAILS, RIBSPREADER and others and is a fine addition. Nothing more, nothing less. A decent job done by professionals. For more info, check out www.facebook.com/revolting-144322252254789 or www.fda-records.com