Live: Monosphere + SENNA + xarise, Schlachthof Wiesbaden

Hard work always pays off. Even before releasing music under their current name, Monosphere were known as one of the busiest bands representing heavy music in Mainz, Germany. Varied sophomore record Sentience expands the quintet’s unique take on progressive riffs, looming songwriting style and emotive passages. We gathered our thoughts about the exclusive album release gig at Schlachthof Wiesbaden that showcased Sentience in full for the first - and perhaps only - time.

Chaos takes reign as soon as xarise enter the stage. Formerly known as Arise From The Fallen, the musicians from Augsburg have also formed an integral part of the heavy music scene in Germany. After switching to a four-piece formation, the sonic pallet also became noticeably heavier than before. Whereas earlier work held a stricter balance between melodic and unclean vocal parts, the material presented this evening goes into full throttle rage mode: In what seems like a crushing onslaught of breakdowns, vocalist Alex Kraft unleashes a bestial variation of screeches, growls and demonic noises. Adequately self-labeled as “Fresh Metal”, the group is easily on-par with UK newcomers InVisions when it comes to providing a punch to the gut. It’s actually refreshing to see the band ditch their more classic metalcore elements in turn for something exciting and captivating. Lighter passages feel welcome and needed, instead of forced to appease fans of catchy hooks. The yet to be released set-closer Fuckface hammers this point home, hopping from one filthy section to the next without warning. xarise are a true gem waiting for the final polish to gift them breakout success.

Next up is SENNA from Mannheim. Leaning heavily into groove and modern guitar licks akin to Unprocessed or Polyphia, the musicians show strong enthusiasm for their craft. In fact, the popular appeal of the band has been skyrocketing ever since signing to SharpTone Records. Jumping around the stage of Kesselhaus, the members display a lot of joy and musical skill through their well-composed songs. Jade is a prime example of the group’s love for well-crafted choruses and bouncy approaches to rhythm. Unfortunately, the live sound does not do the recordings enough justice. Despite the fact that the likes of Rosehip or Lavender are anthemic singalongs laced with engaging song structures, this impact does not translate into a live setting this evening. Even if perhaps due to missing a member for this performance, it’s still a minor letdown the songs don’t get to shine as intended.

What comes last is arguably the least accessible band of the evening. Bathed in utter darkness and a brief moment of silence, Monosphere vocalist Kevin Ernst appears on stage alone to introduce an intense 55-minute playthrough of the band’s second album, Sentience. Preface sets the tone for the varied styles the band incorporates: Ranging from odd chord progressions to atmospheric instrumentals, this song seems almost hopeful before nose-diving headfirst into Borderline Syndrome. Covered in blast beats and dramatic strings in the background, Monosphere are equally as keen to Black Metal passages as they are to progressive and jazzy parts.

Sentience - full album stream

Main songwriter and often standing drummer Rodney Fuchs plays with stark contrasts and continuation instead of repetitions, swerving between blastbeats and strategic pauses. This evolution goes for the micro as well as the macro level of the tracklist: individual songs feel like a journey, the transitions between songs seamless. Effectively, this truly pulls the listener in like a movie soundtrack that you do not want to pause. What adds to this is the lighting production that pushes one’s attention towards the music instead of what’s happening on stage. While this artistic statement might be upsetting to photographers struggling to catch a glimpse of each member, the audience seems to be fully sucked into the extreme compositions. This emphasis of art instead of self-presentation also carries over into the interaction with the crowd: Not many words are spoken between songs and to be quite frank, this suits the band incredibly well. Arguably the most epic song of the evening, Smoke & Wires is a mini opera despite being only third on the tracklist. The awe is visible in the audience’s reservation to clap, so as to not disrupt what’s going on. The soaring highs of Bleak or Method Acting are counterparts to the likes of Human Disguise and Turing Test. Indeed, the quintet is walking a tightrope of extreme proportions not many are able to achieve.

After finishing the main set off with the pensive title track, the group returns for an encore of two songs before saying their good-byes to the crowd. With a diverse lineup and a well-visited venue, it’s safe to say that this show was a defining moment for Monosphere’s career which proved they have what it takes to headline their own concerts and recreate the atmosphere prevalent on studio recordings. Now it’s time for the rest of the world to witness what they’re capable of.

Rating: 4/5 feathers

Monosphere played:

Preface

Borderline Syndrome

Smoke & Wires

Friends & Foes

Bleak

Ava

Human Disguise

Living Flame

Intermission

Method Acting

Turing Test

Sentience

The Marionette

I Am In Conflict, Pt. III

All pictures taken by Alexander Loeb.