Monty Are I 'Break Through the Silence' with sophomore album
Tara Avila
Issue date: 10/28/09 Section: Entertainment
10/28/09 -
The Rhode Island-based action rock band Monty Are I returns to the front line with its long awaited sophomore album, Break Through the Silence.
Originally from Cranston, R.I. Monty Are I released the follow up to its debut album, Wall of People, on Sept. 22.
Admittedly, I have been a fan of the group for a couple years and was excited for their second album. Although this will serve as an introductory album to new MAI fans, many long-time fans are quick to note that these guys have been around for a while, having recorded three other full-length albums and a hit single, "Between the Sheets."
When listening to the group's "breakout album," Break Through the Silence, the first standout component is the vocals. Many, if not all of the tracks are set up with a lot of focus on lead singer Stephen Aiello's abilities, as well as backup vocalist/guitar/trumpet player Ryan Muir.
The two often share the songs and compliment each other's voices, as on my personal favorite, "San Riders Doomsday," and the title track, "Break through the Silence." The guitar riffs are another outstanding factor in the songs, and really emphasize the vocals, as on tracks like "The Stand" and "Hope."
Another interesting and pleasing factor is that the album seems to be split in two. Starting with "Kaleidoscope," many of the songs shift, and include obvious influences from the Middle East, which unexpectedly works in their favor.
Lacking on this album, however, are many of the components that made them famous with Wall of People. This is a much softer album than their previous effort and includes more slow songs.
But despite everything I have said about the album, there is no better way to get a feel for Monty Are I than to see them live. Having attended several MAI shows, their best by far was their Break Through the Silence album debut show at Lupo's on Oct. 9.
Like me, much of the crowd had seen them play before. Those who hadn't, however, were quickly introduced to the overpowering energy of a Monty Are I show. From the very beginning, their performance was filled with a chaos that somehow totally worked. Many band members switched between several instruments and jumped violently in the background. This could have been very distracting if not perfectly executed, but instead only served to engage the crowd.
The Rhode Island-based action rock band Monty Are I returns to the front line with its long awaited sophomore album, Break Through the Silence.
Originally from Cranston, R.I. Monty Are I released the follow up to its debut album, Wall of People, on Sept. 22.
Admittedly, I have been a fan of the group for a couple years and was excited for their second album. Although this will serve as an introductory album to new MAI fans, many long-time fans are quick to note that these guys have been around for a while, having recorded three other full-length albums and a hit single, "Between the Sheets."
When listening to the group's "breakout album," Break Through the Silence, the first standout component is the vocals. Many, if not all of the tracks are set up with a lot of focus on lead singer Stephen Aiello's abilities, as well as backup vocalist/guitar/trumpet player Ryan Muir.
The two often share the songs and compliment each other's voices, as on my personal favorite, "San Riders Doomsday," and the title track, "Break through the Silence." The guitar riffs are another outstanding factor in the songs, and really emphasize the vocals, as on tracks like "The Stand" and "Hope."
Another interesting and pleasing factor is that the album seems to be split in two. Starting with "Kaleidoscope," many of the songs shift, and include obvious influences from the Middle East, which unexpectedly works in their favor.
Lacking on this album, however, are many of the components that made them famous with Wall of People. This is a much softer album than their previous effort and includes more slow songs.
But despite everything I have said about the album, there is no better way to get a feel for Monty Are I than to see them live. Having attended several MAI shows, their best by far was their Break Through the Silence album debut show at Lupo's on Oct. 9.
Like me, much of the crowd had seen them play before. Those who hadn't, however, were quickly introduced to the overpowering energy of a Monty Are I show. From the very beginning, their performance was filled with a chaos that somehow totally worked. Many band members switched between several instruments and jumped violently in the background. This could have been very distracting if not perfectly executed, but instead only served to engage the crowd.
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