C’mon butt, it’s time to get mathy, heavy, and existential as f.***
Because MONUMENTS aren’t just here to chug and scream — they’ll twist your brain with time signatures, slap you with groove, and then hit you in the feels with a chorus that sounds like it came from another planet. 🧠💥🎤

This is djent, prog, metalcore, whatever-core — who cares?
All you need to know is: Monuments write riffs that melt minds, hooks that haunt souls, and breakdowns that make your nan drop her knitting.

🔧 WHO ARE MONUMENTS?

Genre: Progressive Metal / Djent / Groovecore with heart and heft
From: London, UK 🇬🇧
Formed: 2007
Known For:

  • Insane technical riffage that somehow still grooves
  • Emotive vocals over machines-gone-wild guitars
  • Shifting lineups but consistent quality
  • Choruses that make prog fans cry into their beard oil

Monuments are the sonic equivalent of an AI having an emotional breakdown in a thunderstorm.
Complex but catchy. Brutal but beautiful. Like if Meshuggah had therapy and started listening to R&B.

🧠 CURRENT LINE-UP OF RIFF ARCHITECTS

  • Andy Cizek – Vocals / Lung wizard with melody and muscle
  • John Browne – Guitar / Founding member, riff machine, tech-metal Jedi
  • Mike Malyan – Drums / Polybeat polymath
  • Werner Erkelens – Bass / Low-end groove sorcerer

With Andy’s skyscraper vocals (from growls to gospel), John Browne’s 8-string nightmares, and Malyan’s drums defying physics — this ain’t just prog metal.
It’s prog with purpose. Groove with guts.

💿 DISCOGRAPHY – TECHNICAL SOUL-CRUSHERS

⚒️ Gnosis (2012)

🎧 Admit Defeat, Degenerate, 97% Static
Vibe: Aggressive djent with ancient wisdom.
First full-length. Full of riffs, rage, and rhythmical riddles.
Vocals originally by Matt Rose — raw and roaring.

🌌 The Amanuensis (2014)

🎧 I, The Creator, Atlas, The Alchemist
Vibe: The concept album masterpiece.
Based loosely on Samsara and reincarnation cycles.
Groove meets enlightenment meets musical whiplash.
Still a fan favourite for good reason.

🔥 Phronesis (2018)

🎧 A.W.O.L., Leviathan, Mirror Image
Vibe: Emotive. Polished. Pummelling.
New vocalist Chris Barretto adds melody and soul to the fury.
You get blistering breakdowns AND genuinely stunning choruses.
An evolution in sound — less rage, more range.

🌪️ In Stasis (2022)

🎧 Cardinal Red, Lavos, False Providence
Vibe: Modern, mature, monstrous.
First with current frontman Andy Cizek, whose range is stupidly good.
Produced by Mick Gordon (DOOM soundtrack legend), so yeah…
It slaps. And screams. And soars.

🎧 RIFF REPORT’S ESSENTIAL MONUMENTS BANGERS

🎤 I, The Creator – Mind-bending riffs with massive payoff.
🌪️ Leviathan – A wall of emotion and muscle.
🔊 Cardinal Red – Just press play and duck for cover.
🌀 Admit Defeat – Early chaos with precision and punch.
💔 Lavender – The ballad… until it isn’t. Prepare your tear ducts.

🤘 WHY MONUMENTS MATTER

Because they:

  • ***Make smart music that’s still insanely fun to mosh to
  • ***Balance the heavy and the heartfelt ***like absolute wizards
  • ***Push the djent/prog envelope ***without losing the hook
  • Deliver riffs that could rewrite the laws of physics
  • ***Are consistently underrated ***but never under-deliver

Whether you’re headbanging in 7/8 time or weeping at a chorus about loss, Monuments always leave a mark.

🎤 LIVE SHOWS – MATHY MAYHEM WITH A MISSION

A Monuments gig is:

  • 🧮 Technical wizardry that still hits you in the chest
  • 🧨 Tight, loud, and packed with “how are they doing that?” moments
  • 🎶 Andy’s vocals clean as a whistle, filthy as a sewer, sometimes both
  • 👏 Crowdsurfing to progressive enlightenment

Whether you’re a djent nerd, a groove junkie, or just here for the breakdowns – they deliver the goods live.

🎤 FINAL VERDICT FROM THE RIFF REPORT:

Monuments don’t just make songs.
They make architectural masterpieces of rage, reflection, and rhythm.
Every riff? Precise.
Every chorus? Emotional.
Every album? A clinic in how to evolve without losing identity.

Want prog metal that grooves like it’s possessed?
Want cleans that soothe and screams that scar?
Want music smart enough for a maths degree but heavy enough to smash teeth?

Then get in the pit, count to 13 in polyrhythm, and raise a glass to Monuments.

🌀 The Riff Report tunes its 8-string, checks its feelings, and declares:
MONUMENTS – RIFF SCIENCE. VOCAL VIOLENCE.
PROGRESSIVE POWER THAT HITS YOU IN THE SOUL. 🎤🔊🔥