Please tell us about the history of your band and its members.
Monolith (ZA) is a 4-piece extreme metal band from Port Elizabeth, South Africa. It was originally started as a 2-piece studio project by myself and our drummer Dave. We released 2 EPs before expanding into a full band in 2016 in order to perform live and begin working on our new album, “The Lord Conspirator”, that is set for release on the 28th of April 2020. Monolith (ZA) is Andrew Viviers (guitar & vocals), Chris Paterson (guitar & vocals), Coburn Green (bass & vocals) and Dave Mills (drums).
How would you describe your style? Which bands influenced your music?
I would describe our style as extreme metal. We like to straddle the line between death metal and black metal. Akercocke, Death, Hate Eternal, Behemoth, Nile, and Emperor are but a few of the bands that have influenced us. We also like to draw inspiration from multiple genres, including blues, jazz, and classical music.
Why should a metalhead buy your demos/albums?
I think that any fan of extreme metal (or metal in general) will find something that they like in our music. Our music emanates from a very personal space and we pour a lot of personal experiences into it, which I think comes across in our music.
What have you released so far and how were your releases received by the public/media?
We have released two EPs, as well as the first single from our forthcoming album, which is set to release on the 28th of April. Our first EP, “The Legacy of The Opium Eater”, put the band on the map locally and gained some international attention. Our second EP, “Memory Palace”, helped the band secure its footing and gained us enough attention to secure a spot on the roster of MMD Records in Cape Town. We hope to reach an even larger audience with the new album.
Do you play live as well? How's your live activity so far?
Yes, we started performing live towards the end of 2016. We’ve played a successful string of local shows over the last couple of years, and have been invited to play a few larger profile shows with some of South Africa’s metal heavyweights. We will be touring South Africa more extensively in the near future and hope to play our first show out of the country soon.
What should labels/zines/promoters know about your band? Why should they be interested in it?
Monolith (ZA) is an extreme metal band from a part of the world (South Africa) that is not usually known for such music. We are, however, part of a growing scene that is starting to enjoy more international attention and recognition. We focus on creating unique, conceptual, interesting and expressive music that many might enjoy. We aspire to create a unified product that integrates the artwork, lyrics and music in a meaningful way.
What plans do you have for the near future as a band?
Our immediate goal is to launch and support the new album. After having focused on the album for so long, we look forward to hitting the stage and taking our music to a wider audience. Long term, we’d like to achieve a higher standard with each successive release and keep producing albums that we can be proud of.
Where can we listen to your band and where can we buy your stuff?
Our music is available for download and streaming on all major digital platforms through MMD Records. Physical copies and merch can be purchased directly from the band by contacting us on Facebook or via email.
March 2020