Early 2002 Sjoerd Vosch, former drummer of Altar, decided to form a brutal death metal band that would breathe new life into the Dutch underground. To accomplish this task he recruited Robin Kok (Slayne, Exposing Innards), Martijn Moes (ex-Eternal Conspiracy, Legion) and Michiel Dekker (also ex-Eternal Conspiracy, Dead Head). The Internet-surfing Dutch Metalhead should recognize the name Eternal Conspiracy, because this band used mass propaganda tactics not unlike Joseph Goebbels to make name in the Dutch underground scene. Not everyone liked this method of forum spamming which resulted in nicknames like Anal Piracy etc. Nowadays with Monolith they seem to have changed their tactics just a little. Being together for merely half a year they decided to record the four track promo which is spinning it’s rounds in my CD-player as we speak. What does The Monolith Deathcult have to offer, you might ask? Brutal death metal would be the answer. For a band that has been playing together for no longer than half a year now, this promo sure is promising. In fact, if I hadn’t received it to review, I would have certainly bought it myself. On various metal forums there’s quite a buzz going around regarding Monolith and being the inquisitive creature I am I had to check them out.

The four tracks showcase their love for American death metal but they tend to draw their influences from Nile instead of Cannibal Corpse or Morbid Angel. The fact they have 3 singers adds to this comparison. The three headed vocal Cerberus has 2 ultra low deathgrunts and a scream which makes all the tracks relentlessly powerful. The music is brutal, immensely fast and crushing but with the occasional slower passages which make the fast parts seem even faster. The Slayer-like solos are not always played with the greatest skill but give the tracks that insane touch that makes extreme death metal extreme. For a promo the sound is more than decent although sometimes (and especially in the faster parts) the mix gets a bit blurry. I look forward to seeing them perform their stuff live, and I expect this to happen very soon because I have a gut feeling The Monolith Deathcult will become one of the major Dutch death metal bands. With this promo they instantly place themselves at the top of the Dutch Extreme metal scene and it shall only be a matter of time before a label will sign them.