Monument-Rock The Night

Transcend Music
2012


After almost a month away from Heavy Metal Time Machine I figured what better way to get back into the swing of things full-time then with some classic heavy metal? Sure, I did manage to squeak out one review during the past few weeks (Miss May I), but true heavy metal is more my thing. So, with that said, I jump back into the game with Monument. Ex-White Wizzard/The More I See vocalist Peter Ellis leads this five-piece British classic heavy metal band. Rounded out by guitarists Lewis Stephens and David del Cid, bassist Jim Ramses and drummer Matt C the band don't exactly hide their influences. Rather it seems as if the band says "Yeah, we love the NWOBHM movement and decided to form a band with the sole purpose of reliving those glory days so what of it?". Without drawing too much of a line between Peter's new band and his one previous band this does come off a little like White Wizzard part 2. Iron Maiden being the most obvious choice of snack for these metal loving Londoners. Does that make this less of an enjoyable 5-track EP? Well, it isn't brilliant. Monument do recycle a lot of old Iron Maiden riffs as well as a few choice Judas Priest and Saxon ones. It's done in such a fashion though as to offer a loving tribute to the movement that one can't help but smile while enjoying some very basic traditional heavy metal. "Rock the Night", for example, is classic Iron Maiden done up with a smile and a wink as if saying "Here, treat yourself to some fine classic heavy metal/British metal on us" and, for whatever reason, you gladly accept it without making too much of a deal out of the fact that it's all been done before. This short EP (my counter says 23 minutes) is not an album that will light the world on fire. It isn't going to make Monument the next big thing. In fact it almost seems as if the band are aware of that and just play with a sense of "Let' just see where this takes us" which, without downplaying what the band is after, is somewhat refreshing in a day and age in which to many of these retro-loving bands are trying way to hard to impress the listener.