Reflections of Darkness - Music Magazine - Mono Inc.

Details: Written by: Jens Arndt & Sebastian Huhn; Published: 06 October 2010

Matrix, Bochum, Germany
1st October 2010
Mono Inc., [Soon]

Currently, things couldn’t go any better for MONO INC. They had a successful festival summer and a Top 10 chart placement of their new EP ‘Comedown' at German Alternative Charts. But there’s no time for resting for this band even as the year’s end is coming closer. Quite the contrary… Besides working on their new studio album, slated for release in the first half of 2011, there’s still a tour running. For MONO INC. that means “Out of the studio, up on stage. The “Voices of Doom” tour had its start at Bochum’s Matrix.

[Soon]

The band is working in the live circuit ever since 2003 and when their debut album 'End Isolation' came out in 2006 they already had built a good reputation. The second album was released already in the following year with 'Without a Trace' to positive critics in the media. http://www.soonmusic.net/

Music & Performance
Few minutes after 8 PM, the musicians of [SOON] entered the stage. Those who knew the band apparently were wondering why there were only 3 musicians on stage. The reason was bass player Markus having some health issues.

But instead of cancelling the gig, the 3 remaining members improvised and used the studio bass tracks from tape. A completely acceptable solution in my opinion! Also the frequently occurring “opener” problem got solved. The guys kicked it with a mixture of melodic rock, some metal and a very impressing live design of their performance. Many of the attendees didn’t know [SOON] before and surely won’t soon forget them since you could hear the audience singing and having fun time and again. After about 40 minutes and songs such as ‘Our Isolation’ and ‘Desperate’ off their debut ‘End Isolation’, as well as the title song from the record ‘Without A Trace’, the trio said goodbye and made way for the evening’s main act.

Rating
Music: 7
Performance: 7
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 7 / 10

Mono Inc.

Before altering their name into MONO INC., the band was founded in 1998 under the name MONO69! Beginning of 2003, Manuel Antoni fills in the vacant position as bassist and hence completes the line-up. The self-released debut ‘Head under Water’ followed then in autumn 2003. The year 2006 brought one of the worst surprises a band is able to encounter. The departure of their former singer, however a proper replacement was to be found quickly with drummer and songwriter Martin Engler. Katha Mia would take over drum duties for him from there on. As it turns out, the idea to put Martin to the front wasn’t a bad one at all; ever since the band has grown more popular than ever expected. 2007 sees the release of the next record ‘Temple of the Torn’ to be followed only one year later, exactly in June 2008, with the third album ‘Pain, Love & Poetry’. The next step followed in 2009 with ‘Voices of Doom’ and spiked with the EP 'Comedown'. MONO INC. is Martin Engler (vocals), Manuel Antoni (bass, vocals), Katha Mia (drums) and Carl Fornia (guitar, vocals). http://www.mono-inc.com/ / http://www.myspace.com/monoincmusic

Music & Performance
There couldn’t have been a more spectacular tour start for MONO INC. A mystical intro sounded, in the course of which the melody of ‘If I Fall’ was started and a voice said “Please welcome… Mono Inc.” Immediately, all hands in the room went up and gave the four musicians a warm welcome. A fabulous picture! The band started with ‘Forgiven’ and the audience proved they not only could clap but also knew the lyrics inside-out with singing along and celebrating right from the start. Right in front of the stage, the sound was mighty but in the back, especially with the Synth sounds, a bit overdriven. But that shouldn’t bother anyone this evening; the fans rocked the house, knew every song and in parts were louder than the band with following songs such as ‘My Sick Mind TV’, ‘Bloodmoon’, and the title track off the EP ‘Comedown’. Singer Martin Engler simply was stunned, saying “Wow, Bochum. The tour just started here; what could get any better now. I think for the next time we keep the Bochum date for the final show of the tour. What an incredible mood, many thanks”

It would become a journey through the discography and so some songs appeared in the set you wouldn’t have quite expected like e.g. ‘Euthanasia’ from the first album and ‘Avalon’ off the ‘Temple Of The Torn’ album. We had also great moments with the three unplugged pieces i.e. ‘Life Hates You’, Martin has written suffering from a heartache back in the day, its counterpart ‘In My Heart’ and of course ‘Passenger’, being backed again by the full band close to its end. MONO INC: “had” to return two times for encores, because the cheering wouldn’t cease and so a grandiose show in the apparently sold out venue found its moving end with ‘In My Heart’ and ‘Get Some Sleep’. After the show the band mixed with their fans for autographs and one or the other attendee was staying at the Matrix this evening to keep on celebrating.

Setlist
01. Forgiven
02. My Sick Mind TV
03. Bloodmoon
04. Comedown
05. Gothic Queen
06. Just Because I Love You
07. Euthanasia
08. Why Can’t I
09. Rest In Grace
10. Life Hates You
11. The Passenger
12. Avalon
13. If I Fail
14. This Is The Day
15. Temple Of The Torn > Drums
16. Sleeping My Day Away
17. Voices Of Doom
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18. In My Heart
19. Get Some Sleep

Rating
Music: 9
Performance: 8
Sound: 7
Light: 7
Total: 8.1 / 10