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December 5, 2024


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mono
One Step More And You Die (Arena Rock)

By: Cam Lindsay

mono are a four-piece out of Japan that like to make loud noises through building and building up their guitars until they lash out and eventually explode in a hail of madness. There is one thing to remember though. The easiest way to enjoy this record is to forget the fact that it sounds exactly like Mogwai's Come On Die Young. With that in mind, mono is about to become the new favorite Slint-inspired band for the indie kids. One Step More And You Die is as fierce as the title suggests. Like a crocodile on the hunt, mono's music moves slowly and calmly without any signs of danger. Once everything seems comfortable and safe, it then attacks when least expected, exposing the true monster. "com(?)" displays this behavior the best, beginning with a delicate guitar strumming that lasts a matter of two minutes before it transforms and transforms again until it reaches the fifteen-minute mark, when it settles down into an unnerving cloud of distortion. Elsewhere though, mono avoid the quiet-to-loud syndrome and keep it consistent. "sabbath" is a tender lullaby that wouldn't hurt a fly, with "loco tracks" acting similar but even closer to Mogwai's pinnacle "Helicon 1". If they can maintain their own identity with a record of these proportions, mono will be huge. A-
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