Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind

Temporary Residence
Published April 2, 2009  by Jason Lewis in Record Reviews

Mono’s fifth album, Hymn to the Immortal Wind, sounds a lot like all their other records. That, however, is too cerebral an assessment. You shouldn’t think about Mono’s music — you should feel it. This Japanese four-piece has broken the language barrier using standard space-rock techniques, blistering volume and epic arrangements, but after a decade of making music, Mono has mastered the art of finding subtlety in a wash of noise. Re-teaming with engineer Steve Albini, Mono explores new dimensions in instrumentation with the help of a mini orchestra, and the result is even more emotional than usual. As each song builds to an inevitable crescendo, strings and flutes buoy the soaring guitars, offer beautiful counterpoints or build the wall of sound even higher. Hymn to the Immortal Wind makes Mono sound more like Godspeed You Black Emperor than Mono, but it doesn’t make them any less powerful.



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