DEAD BY MONDAY – Dead By Monday

Glaswegian post-hardcore quartet Dead By Monday have been around the block for a few years now, but it wasn’t until 2019 where they truly began to make major waves, and they have initiated their 2020 in a huge manner with their self-titled debut full-length release.

They don’t hesitate delivering the juicy stuff right from the offset with Lost Generation, a bloody whopper of a track with a massive scale to it, and a key factor in that is leading man Jordan’s scarily strong vocal power, plus the guitars and drums are weighty, and it manages to regularly switch it up in style.

They keep that intensity alive in the adverse, politically-charged American Horror Story, which is brimming with hardened bass tones; the latter carrying through into Dreamseeker, which is defined by an insanely catchy, boogieing rhythm and sweet chorus. Bed Of Nails flurries through at a forceful pace, and the singing is the stand out quality of Hear Me.

We finally get to have a breather with the interlude, and after some gentle acoustic strums, they fire back into the madness with The Binding, where they also expand their reach with such additions as the warm harmony hooks. They fly through Atom Bomb with an unbridled energy and hit out with great solos and a solid breakdown, and they crank it up even higher in Until Death, battering out thumping beats while giving us more memorable writing.

Then out of nowhere, they swoop into a completely new direction with the two-part Fractured, the first half a totally stripped back piece that is captivating and genuinely emotional, and they even apply strings which is really cool. They then fluently transition into the mental second half, serving as an outstanding climax to an outstanding ride.

I have honestly been so taken aback here. In the past, Dead By Monday were just another act in a loaded scene, but following huge progress in such a short span, they have went above and beyond in their efforts to produce what is all by rights a phenomenal album that I’m confident will rank as one of the defining Scottish records of 2020; not just in the rock/metal genre, but across the entire board.

I’m so proud of the guys and have all the respect in the world for them. I predict that things are going to change for the better, because they have visibly endeavoured and branched up to another playing field, and they deserve to be promoted to a wider audience.

OUT NOW!