I never really got classical music. Maybe it’s just my true knuckle dragging tendency, maybe it was rebellious (see also: misguided) youth, maybe I was just never sophisticated enough. It always seemed to be populated by the elite so I think that’s why I set my default appreciation of it in full reverse. Music for snobs? At least that’s what I’d tell myself. Of course everything is subjective and I was just a dumb kid. But as a slightly less dumb adult I think I have experienced my first positive interpretation of what I would happily label classical music, in the form of France’s progressive doom metal act Monolithe. With four full outings already under their belt that I’m still retrospectively indulging in, they are about to release album number five in the form of Epsilon Aurigae. And it is, as the kids say, way epic man.

If I had to sum up Monolithe in narrow human terms I’d tell you that they play doom in the traditional European sense, with the melodies and the stuff. Imagine a lighter or less “isolated castle” dwelling Candlemass, while retaining the same melodic flair. It’s far less on the nose though (side note, I bloody love Candlemass so that was in no way criticism). Then take that doom foundation and twin it with mid-career Opeth, where they were experimenting with progressive tendencies before just embracing them completely. There’s never a point where they sacrifice strength too much. Their scope for softer elements is always tempered by a persistent reminder that they are still a heavy metal band. They have achieved balance. Very Zen, I know.

Also, keyboards are metal. There, I said it without bursting into flames. And the ever present keys on this album always accentuate things. For possibly the first time in my life I was forced to acknowledge this to myself. They are in every sense as vital as the more conceivably “METAL” instruments that obviously occupy Epsilon Aurigae. Every track is littered with them, and it absolutely rules.

All three tracks are a journey too, each one exactly 15 minutes in length. And that either shows remarkable control or this band must be a nightmare to work for. Either way, as long as they’re knocking out material like this I’d be far too happy to argue. The guitars frequently soar in that beautifully depressing way that all true doom manages to encapsulate, but when they do plunge it genuinely feels like madness, none more so effectively displayed than on the lion’s share of “Synoecist.” And it’s here where the super clean production pays dividends too, because if it were anything less it wouldn’t have done anywhere near enough justice to the scope of this track. It could have been murky and rough and doom-laden as all hell, but it would have totally been wrong for the aesthetic that they are presenting. This is, after all, pretty damn classical. Well, as classical as you could be if Mozart had growled vocals.

I think what I enjoyed the most about Epsilon Aurigae is that I perceived it’s built to exist beyond Monolithe’s lifespan. I really got the sense that the amount of detail and obvious obsession that had gone into constructing this thing must have been both a true labour of love on the band’s half, and also intended to be something they would be proud of for a long time to come. If for some reason they all decided quit tomorrow it would conceivably be a sad day, but we would also be left with something as a final offering that I certainly feel they intended to be bigger than them. And to me at least, that speaks volumes.

– Matt Fitton.

Epsilon Aurigae is available 12/11/2015 on Debemur Morti Productions. For more information on Monolithe visit their Facebook page.