Album Review: October File -Monuments

Monuments is a fitting title for the 20014 release by October File, a colossal jewel which captures the band at their zenith. This chimerical beast is a culmination of hardcore, post punk, and industrial influences, making a musical juggernaut of monstrous proportions.  Although they are a relatively obscure band, they have withstood the test of time thus far and have remained a thematic powerhouse for over a decade.  October File have the boastful confidence, and impressive discography to back it up, to suggest that they are bulletproof.

The music is fast, loud, and catchy, creating an explosive catalyst for spontaneous mosh pits and intense headbanging.  Serpentine riffs evoke the sinuous melodies of the Middle East, while raspy screams and aggressive drumming lend the brute strength and aggression of hardcore punk. Each song has the military candor and intrusive groove of a marching battalion, and the ruthless lyrics are delivered in an anguished scream, a volcanic eruption of anger incited by a cruel and unjust society. The entire album is defined by the same dichotomy of a war machine: Sophisticated and complex, yet made for violent brutality.

The otherwise cohesive album is torn asunder by the fourth track, simply titled “4”, which substitutes down tempo eeriness and dissonance for the typical raging battle anthems. The following tracks bring the music back up to speed and nastier than ever, with the final song “Enemy In A State” tapering everything into a satisfying conclusion. However, “Blood And Sweat” steals the spotlight with its succulent guitar hooks and addictive chorus.

October File have a solid foundation of quality and consistency in their records, and Monuments is no exception. The dark lyrical content, the intense vocals, and the relentless instruments were each impressive in their own right, and when combined, were even greater than the sum of their parts. Four stars out of five!