There are two stereotypical types of bands when it comes to making politically oriented music: the pissed off Hot Topic brand of anarchists, and groups with an underlying agenda so obscure it gets lost in the effort. Due to the reputation of the former, bands that profess to make political music often stigmatize themselves, and are immediately dismissed. There are some bands, however, which successfully balance on the tightrope between the two extremes. From Monument to Masses, has found that sweet spot. The bi-coastal band, two of their members hailing from New York City and the other two from Los Angeles, released their fourth full-length album On Little Known Frequencies. The political agenda is woven throughout explosive prog-rock songs, making sure that (mostly) listeners understand the message, but without forcing it down their throats.
From Monument To Masses dropped off the radar after 2003’s The Impossible Leap. Returning to release new material after such a long sabbatical comes with expectations of innovation or recreation of the sound. The band, however, returns to the math rock that they executed so well on their previous records. From Monument to Masses still opts to use spoken audio samples rather than lyrical content, although these seem to be more scattered throughout the songs rather than pushed to the front of the track as they were on The Impossible Leap. While the title of the song usually lends aid to the interpretation of the meaning behind the audio sample, some of the samples miss their mark in conveying a clear message, leaving too much up to interpretation.
The record is at its best on the upbeat, heavily vamped songs that seem to be From Monument To Masses signature sound. The attention-grabbing opener “Checksum” blends heavy guitars with space-age keyboard work, setting a nice standard for the rest of the record. This flows nicely into the ebb and flow of “(Millions of) Individual Factories,” which features a crushing guitar breakdown. The surprising light feel of “Beyond God & Elvis” does not bode well with the rest of the album, and what should have been the accessible single falls short of its target. Despite the success of the elements like keyboards and stringed instruments, the band’s addition of DJ scratching in “The First Five” rings eerily similar to Linkin Park, which one hopes was not the intention.
As is easy with instrumental rock, the songs start to seem like they are dragging on into the cosmos, and From Monument to Masses’ nine-minute jam sessions don’t help their case in that respect. Because of the length, the band’s message could be lost to the less patient listeners. The repetition in the songs could easily be cut to include the audio sample – what the band considers the real “point” of the song – much sooner, assuring that they were achieving what they aimed to with their music.
Overall, On Little Known Frequencies is cohesive and intriguing. Even to those adverse to their ideas, the composition of the songs is something to be appreciated. If listeners can muster the patience to make it through the lengthy songs, there is a unique style that From Monuments to Masses brings to political music.
MP3 Stream: "(Millions of) Individual Factories"
– Abby Johnston
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