MONO – Oath

It was a night in the distant past—I can’t recall the exact year—but one thing was certain: I didn’t go to that concert to see MONO. My main interest was probably to see The Ocean or Sólstafir. Either way, when MONO took the stage, I expected nothing. But then it hit us: the overwhelming and mesmerizing emotion of its performance. Without a single word, MONO showed so much courage and vulnerability at the same time that I was touched as I had never been at a concert. Hence, when Oath fell into my hands, I knew it had to be reviewed immediately. Do I still have it in my heart to understand this band? Let’s find out!

Oath is touching and personal, just like any previous album from MONO. Metal is full of raw emotion, but nobody portrays love and weakness like MONO. There’s clearly a sense of longing and melancholy, but deep down, happiness in the album. It’s like being in love again or dying and finding out that not only is there an afterlife, but all your pets are waiting for you on the other side. Oath might be about love, but it doesn’t have to be only romantic love, and that’s the beauty of all the work in MONO‘s catalogue: it’s Post-Rock that honors something we’ve almost lost in Metal, yet we need it so much.

Oath is filled with the typical cinematic arrangements the band has shown us many times. For some strange reason, I’ve always liked the drums in MONO, and Oath is no exception. They’re minimalist, but they punch so well (proof that you don’t have to be a technician all the time; sometimes, few words say more). The same applies to the guitar and bass work; they’re as reliable as usual. Oh wow! I’m in touch with my feelings today! However, there must be something to dislike here, right? Yes, of course!

The album is long—long like an old Russian novel. Here at MER, we’re more accepting of length than many other sites. However, when your style is Reich-like minimalist, this can become difficult to follow. It’s not that I found it painful, but I did find myself getting distracted with something else (“Should I change my Lamborghini for an Aston Martin?”). Though Oath is loyal and consistent to the band’s style, I wouldn’t say it takes many risks. It’s eye-teary work, but expect to cry the same or less than you did when you listened to You Are There or Hymn to the Immortal Wind for the first time.

Sometimes, you should remember you have feelings. I know you’re a tough Metalhead who claims to feel nothing but disdain for this world, but as a mental health advocate and expert in a tiny and irrelevant research field (yes, the Catto went to school, kids, so should you!), I’d recommend you drop the act for an hour or two and give Oath at least one go. It won’t cure you from being a bastard, but it’ll certainly make you reflect upon the possibility of a better way to live. Now, where are my tissues?

Label: Pelagic Records

Release date: June 14, 2024

Website: https://www.facebook.com/monoofjapan

Country: Japan

Score: the love you’ll never feel, or 3.0/5.0 for the cold ones