Monolord, Khemmis

Monolord is a doom metal band from in Gothenburg, Sweden. Formed in 2013, the outside world took notice in a big way as the trio of Thomas V Jäger (vocals, guitars), Esben Willems (drums), and Mika Häkki (bass) garnered a flurry critical acclaim for their RidingEasy Records debut, Empress Rising, a year later. Decibel Magazine decreed them, “your new favorite band,” New Noise Magazine called the album, “fantastic,” and This Is Not A Scene announced, “the power they capture speaks for itself,” as they became mainstays on the top of Bandcamp’s Doom chart. “From day one, it’s always been our aim to build a massive wall of rumbling sound,” declares Thomas. “That’s our common goal. We’re the exact opposite of a band consisting of members with identical record collections. We come from three fairly different places, but we’re all drawn to dark, heavy, and gritty music. What we do in Monolord is the result of that creative conflict between us – that’s conflict in the word’s positive sense.” Within that push-and-pull of aesthetic, the three-piece found the framework for their sophomore set Vænir. Shortly after the release of Empress Rising, the group returned to their tiny rehearsal space to cut and personally produce the album’s six tracks with Esben mixing and mastering. Opener Cursing the One trudges from a calculated, staggered groove into a guttural drowning choir of hauntingly hypnotic vocals. We Will Burn tempers the slow burn with incendiary melody, while the ten-minute-plus Died A Million Times swings the pendulumbetween that growl of distortion and a clean guitar. The penultimate reprieve on The Cosmic Silence gives way to an expansive finale dirge with the title track. Since the release of Vænir, Monolord has been busy. Touring the US twice (once supporting Windhand with Danava and once headlining) twice in Europe (headlining), Australia/New Zeeland (co-headlining with Ufomammut), not to mention festivals acrossEurope; Hellfest, Freak Valley, Desertfest Belgien/London/Berlin, Blowup/Finland to mention a few.Also, in 2016 the two track EP Lord Of Suffering / Die In Haze was released. “Monolord's Lord Of Suffering / Die In Haze EP is about 12 minutes of gigantic, low-tuned riffs that may or may not shake your house right off its foundation” is the praise given by Metal Injection.Throughout all releases, singer and guitarist Thomas lyrically explores the dark core of humanity. “Misanthropy is an ever-present theme in everything we do” Thomas goes on.“The disgust for what humans do to each other and to the planet is constant. Religion, greed, and power madness run through humanity like incurable diseases, which is, consequentially, a constant stream of inspiration for us.”Ultimately, Monolord offers shelter from some of that darkness. “I hope we can be an outlet to the massive and destructive stupidity surrounding us all,” Thomas concludes. “This band is our safety valve. We hope the same goes for our fans.”

Slow, loud, heavy -- this is Khemmis, a four piece doomed rock 'n' roll outfit from Denver, Colorado. Khemmis combines the soul of Black Sabbath, the soaring harmonies of Thin Lizzy and Iron Maiden, and the visceral weight of contemporary sludge and doom metal. No regurgitation. No gimmicks. No trends. In July 2015, the band released Absolution, a six track, forty-minute journey through transcendent melodies and pure auditory annihilation. Recorded with Dave Otero (Cobalt, Primitive Man) and Shane Howard at Flatline Audio, the album earned praise from listeners and critics alike. Decibel Magazine named it the #9 metal album of 2015, while Pitchfork named it their #5 release of the year. It earned accolades from NPR, Apple Music, Invisible Oranges, Noisey, and No Clean Singing, among others.