Interviews: Monolith

On this new occasion, we have had the opportunity to interview the Death Metal band Monolith from South Africa. Check out the interview and follow the band on their FACEBOOK PAGE.

1. Where did you get the idea for the band name, you planned it or came out just like that?

CHRIS: It was a bit of both. We wanted something that was simple and memorable while still representing the sonic characteristics of the band. MONOLITH was the word that kept sticking in my head as the one.

2. Why did you want to play this genre?

CHRIS: I don’t think there was ever a conscious decision saying “extreme metal over everything else”. It was just the genre that was the most appealing and the most expressive to work on, it has no boundaries in my opinion. We were also inspired by the effect our favourite death/black metal bands had on us, we wanted to join the club.

3. Did you know each other before the band was formed?

CHRIS: Yes, we are all friends from the Port Elizabeth music scene in South Africa and have played in bands together in one way or another.

4. Each band member favourite band?

BAND: Difficult choosing a favourite, but right now:

CHRIS: ‘Mithras’

DAVE: ‘Nile’

COBURN: ‘Deftones ‘

ANDY: ‘Primordial’

5. Who or what inspires you to write songs?

CHRIS: Inspiration for songs can come from anywhere. For us it’s usually the expression or confrontation of an emotion or mood. Books and films can also be great sources of inspiration.

6. Where was your last gig?

CHRIS: At Mercury Live in Cape Town supporting The Fallen Prophets new album. Unfortunately this venue had to close due to the lockdown so we are very grateful to have played there before it closed its doors; it was a fantastic venue and a bucket list gig for us.

7. Where would you like to act?

CHRIS: As a band we would love to get over to Europe or Asia to perform. There are also quite a few bands and venues here in South Africa that we would like to get to once the lockdown has been lifted.

8. Whom would you like to feature with?

CHRIS: Any of the above mentioned bands would be a dream.

9. Whom not?

CHRIS: We aren’t too fussy; we will share a stage with anybody!

10. Any of you has ever suffered from stage fright? Any tip for beginners on how to beat that?

CHRIS: I think all of us experience stage fright or anxiety when playing live. I think being well prepared is important, if you are confident in your ability to perform the songs you will feel more comfortable on stage. It’s important to focus on the task at hand and try to avoid any negativity surrounding the show. It’s just music at the end of the day and the people at the show are there to have a good time.

11. What bands have inspired you the most?

CHRIS: We find bands that have a unique spin on extreme metal particularly inspiring. We draw a lot of inspiration from bands like Gorguts, Deathspell Omega, Akercocke, Nile and Primordial to name a few. The heavyweights of the genre like Hate Eternal, Cannibal Corpse and Suffocation will always be inspiring to us too.

12. What's the weirdest thing a fan has ever asked you for?

CHRIS: The right to fondle Andy’s beard and exchanging merch for beerfest tickets… That’s a fair trade in our book!

13. What do you think of your fans? 

CHRIS: We are just stoked to be making and releasing music. We do our best to present it in a way that will resonate with others. I think that forms a really strong connection.

14. What do you think of our site?

CHRIS: We really like it. It’s a great platform to find and support new bands. Tons of great content!

15. Something add?

CHRIS: We have just released our latest album ‘The Lord Conspirator’ through MMD Records. If you are a fan of metal/extreme metal then give it a listen and let us know what you think! Thank you for your time and keep supporting the underground.