Future Shock

In 2021 there was one thrash metal record that stood out for me from the rest with it’s fast and furious style and that was Ravager’s The Third Attack. Now the year has turned and I finally got to hear Monarch’s second full-length album Future Shock, which was also released in 2021. What got me excited to hear Monarch’s new album was the fact that the talented Cage guitarist Casey Trask joined the band and brought some hooks with him.

Monarch – Future Shock is a bloody, dirty and beer-stained ode to everything and everyone that holds thrash metal or heavy metal dear to their hearts. Unlike many other bands, Monarch doesn’t just rely on their record being a fast paced and technical thrash metal show. Even though one might expect that after hearing the first song Blast the Seed. But afterwards you get many moments in the songs that are almost power metal-like or heavy metal anthems infused with thrash metal. The guitars on this album have a lot of variety in the riffs and leads, drawing ideas from variety of heavy and thrash metal styles. Ranging from 80’s heavy metal to straight Painkiller moments and in thrash metal from Destruction to Anthrax. In a way the production on the record emphasizes the more old-school feel as it tends to not be polished and is in many ways quite lacking especially in the drums.

Monarch has tongue in cheek attitude and a little bit of humor in the mix that shows up every now and then. Nothing overstays it’s welcome or is too cheesy. In the midpoint of the record, we get a three-minute instrumental leading into, Fatal Vector, which I can only describe as pure thrash metal that evolves into an epic song with a lot of heavy metal leads and guitar shredding. It is the longest song, being almost seven minutes, and it pretty much sums up the whole record. Simple riffs, simply kicking ass and a bass solo thrown in the mix. Only thing the song is missing is the speed found on other songs.

Next comes the three last songs of the record. Starting with Collision Of Bones and at this point I realized that the record was a sleeping monster all along. I can't quite put into words how these last three songs feel so different than the first part of the album, yet the mood feels very much the same. It's ingenious from songwriting perspective. Everything that transpires early in the record gets amplified and keeps building up as the album progresses forward, whether it's the vocals between some clean parts, screams and shouts or growling on the low registers. Or guitar riffs that have more slower parts and heavy mid-tempo sections with all the faster shredding moments.

I would say Future Shock is mostly a “killer and no filler” album. It doesn’t sound the same from start to finish. It offers many great moments and surprises that make the listening experience more enjoyable. If only those moments were sprinkled more throughout the whole album and with better memorability, the score could be much higher.

As it stands Monarch’s Future Shock is nevertheless a monster of an album, like in the cover artwork, that can sometimes be asleep with all it's traditional heavy and thrash metal, but when it comes at you claws ready, you'll find yourself surprised. Be warned, when listening to songs like Nuclear Warfare, Collision of Bones and Swarm of the Whorenet and don't forget Fatal Vector. Also, don’t let the thrash metal tag fool you because Monarch has a few tricks up their sleeves.