MONSTERWORKS – Universe

I’ve never heard of this New Zealand four-piece before, but the ambitious ‘Universe’ is their ninth full-length release. As the cover might suggest, this is progressive metal with a cosmic theme.
Monsterworks could broadly be described as progressive thrash, although at times they can be a bit lighter or heavier than that label would suggest. The vocals range from clean through to a DM growl, with lots of variety in between. One of the things Monsterworks excel at is adapting their style to the requirements of their vision for the track at hand.

Monsterworks create some memorable melodies and their handling of the song dynamics mean each piece feels like a small slice from a larger musical odyssey. The musicianship is pretty cool too, with plenty of solid lead work and a rhythm section that knows how to create a compelling groove. As you would hope after nine albums, Monsterworks have a developed a mature sound and have the experience to achieve their aims in the studio.
Worth checking out if that prog itch has been bothering you.

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