Review by Vladimir on May 2, 2023.

Polish one-man black metal band Zørormr returns after 7 years with its fourth full-length album The Monolith, which was released on March 24th through Moloch's label Via Nocturna, featuring Icanraz (drums) and Quazarre (lead guitar) as guest musicians.

The Monolith begins with the title track, which starts out slowly and eerie with synths and some chilling sound effects before drums and guitars take the lead. Although rhythmically slow at first, it quickly changes to aggressive tremolo riffing and blast beats, with harsh vocals joining along for the ride. The good thing about the song is that it constantly changes tempo and I really like the fact that it's pretty dynamic, even though I was afraid that it might be monotone. The track which I like particularly for its aggressive riffing, wonderful solos and even the title is the fourth track 'I Have No Mouth, And I Must Scream'. To some it may seem like a cheesy song title, but I personally found it to be quite a powerful message. Tracks on the album don't really differentiate all that much, but what I like a lot is that there are always powerful lead sections and guitar solos that go along nicely with the heavy and melodic riffs. When paying closer attention to the musical style all the way down to the riffs, drumming, solos etc., during certain sections it felt like I was listening to some later Necrophobic albums which have songs in a similar songwriting fashion. Although the songs are impressive sounding, I did have a bit of a hard time to really get into this album as a whole. My problem with the songs is that they aren't really all that memorable and strong for me to get immersed or sucked into, despite having very cool moments from time to time. Maybe it's just a matter of preference, but I think that a lot of other people who search for something "tangible" in the music might also have a hard time finding something to their liking. Another thing I would like to talk about is the album cover by Paweł Kuranda, which although looks impressive and awesome, felt a bit strange because it looks like it's something that came straight out of a comic book, even the character on the cover looks like the Silver Surfer from the Marvel comics. The album's production is very modern and high quality, but generally speaking, the heavy guitar tone, distorted bass, heavy drums and harsh vocals are all top notch.

Although the album isn’t something that could hold my attention from start to finish, nevertheless managed to provide some decent level of satisfaction. It's far from a bad experience, but I wish there was a bit more to what I could grasp and enjoy. I would say that is more or less meant for fans of modern sounding black metal bands that don't necessarily excel or stand out.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Jacobo on May 26, 2004.

I have never been a big fan of compilations. I find them boring because they usually offer nothing new to the listener. But this time things are different. Katatonia has changed so much throughout the years that newer fans who may have ignored the band's past will now get an idea of how Katatonia once sounded.

Brave Yester Days is a 2-CD compilation that starts with "Midwinter Gates," a song from their Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival EP, and finishes with "Scarlet Heavens" from the Saw You Drown EP. You won't find any songs made after 1998's Saw You Drown EP, only Old-Katatonia stuff.

Brave Yester Days made me realize that even though I really love today's 'catchy' Katatonia, I really miss the band's old school sound. Songs like the emotional "Gateways of Bereavement" (specially in the painful "I love you" scream), "Without God," "Black Erotica," "Love the Swap" and the incredible "Murder," where we have Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) singing, took me on a journey I had not experienced for some time. I got so excited that I started playing Dance of December Souls, For Funerals to Come and Brave Murder Day in my car for a two hour drive. My only minor complaint is that CD 2 contains, "Untrue," an (understandably) unreleased track. It is an ethereal sounding song that just wants you to press the skip button.

This compilation is a great way for newer fans of the band to learn all about the Doom/Black past of this incredible and innovative Swedish band. Comparing the Katatonia of yesteryears to that of today is astounding and almost amusing. For an old fan like me, the fun part is rediscovering these tunes and realizing what they really meant to me and to a lot of the metalheads at the time.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 6
Originality: 10
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.8 out of 10

Review by Jacobo on May 26, 2004.

I have never been a big fan of compilations. I find them boring because they usually offer nothing new to the listener. But this time things are different. Katatonia has changed so much throughout the years that newer fans who may have ignored the band's past will now get an idea of how Katatonia once sounded.

Brave Yester Days is a 2-CD compilation that starts with "Midwinter Gates," a song from their Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival EP, and finishes with "Scarlet Heavens" from the Saw You Drown EP. You won't find any songs made after 1998's Saw You Drown EP, only Old-Katatonia stuff.

Brave Yester Days made me realize that even though I really love today's 'catchy' Katatonia, I really miss the band's old school sound. Songs like the emotional "Gateways of Bereavement" (specially in the painful "I love you" scream), "Without God," "Black Erotica," "Love the Swap" and the incredible "Murder," where we have Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth) singing, took me on a journey I had not experienced for some time. I got so excited that I started playing Dance of December Souls, For Funerals to Come and Brave Murder Day in my car for a two hour drive. My only minor complaint is that CD 2 contains, "Untrue," an (understandably) unreleased track. It is an ethereal sounding song that just wants you to press the skip button.

This compilation is a great way for newer fans of the band to learn all about the Doom/Black past of this incredible and innovative Swedish band. Comparing the Katatonia of yesteryears to that of today is astounding and almost amusing. For an old fan like me, the fun part is rediscovering these tunes and realizing what they really meant to me and to a lot of the metalheads at the time.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Musicianship: 7
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 6
Originality: 10
Overall: 8

Rating: 7.8 out of 10