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. 🎤🔊🔥
