LP Review: monkey3 - sphere (2019) (English)

Have a comfortable seat, lean back, and don't forget to enjoy the show when monkey3 are taking you to outter space, unknown spheres, and back. The four spacemasters from Lausanne are back with their newest LP "sphere" and I can tell you: this is once more a masterpiece created by monkey3.

I once got to know the band at the Psychedelic Network Festival in Würzburg during their "The 5th Sun" tour, and I still remember the melody of "Icarus" being stuck in my head for days after the gig. About one year later monkey3 played in Würzburg again, but this time the venue was the Immerhin, and the support acts were Rodeo Drive and Queen Morphine. I used to be the bass player at Queen Morphine.

Now, eighteen years after the band was founded, here is their sixth full-time studio album "sphere". Six tracks on two LPs, each between six and fifteen minutes long, and a total playtime of 52 minutes. If you do not have heard of monkey3 yet, the music on "sphere" can be described as high-lustre psychedelic Space Rock. Each song has an intense structure with smooth and yet staccato arcs of suspense. The quartet forms pictures or even whole worlds with their sounds. The keys create a basic layer or foundation together with the bass guitar while guitar and drums are the vessel which explores this strange sphere. As they did on previous works as well, monkey3 play atmospheric and powerful Space Rock with strongly distorted riffs that spiral up into Pink Floyd-like clean guitar soli.

Again monkey3 have manufactured an amazing work full of variety, different tempi, themes, images, and emotions. On "sphere" the Swiss band takes you on a journey through unknown spheres, alongside meteorite showers, dead planets, space debris, and yet beautiful pictures. The ride may be a little rough from time to time as big boulders have to be passed, but monkey never miss the golden line on their new LP.

With "sphere" monkey3 might not have reinvented themselves, but still there is a clear development to be heard on this new album. Here and there I think I might have encountered harmonies which reminded me of Pagan Metal; in the song "Ida" for example. Also a stronger orientation towards Space Rock is obvious on this album. These two LPs are again a rounded work with lots of various nuances to discover. The last track "Ellipsis" also finally gave me that earworm I was looking for when listening to the album the first time. I guess my favourite monkey3 album is still "Th 5th Sun", but "sphere" is an amazing high-lustre masterpiece.