-=- SHGZ -=- * Shoegaze * Indie * Post-Rock * Grunge * Dream Pop * Psych-Rock * Ethereal * ARTIST..: Mondaze ALBUM...: Late Bloom GENRE...: Indie STYLE...: Shoegaze, Heavy Shoegaze, Nugaze YEAR....: 2022 LABELS..: Church Road Records - CRR096CD Through Love Records - TLR071 Tafuzzy Records - TAFCD049 COUNTRY.: Italy PLACE...: Faenza ENCODER.: LAME 3.100 -V0 BITRATE.: 276 kbps avg QUALITY.: 44.1kHz / Joint Stereo SOURCE..: CD TRACKS..: 10 SIZE....: 82.57 MB URL..: http://www.facebook.com/bandmondaze - TRACKLIST 1 Concrete 4:03 2 Endless 4:06 3 Words Undone 3:08 4 Honest Feelings 3:58 5 Interlude 3:49 6 Stay 3:43 7 How soon is soon? 5:07 8 Swirl Back 3:22 9 Lost 3:41 10 Incense Smell 6:56 Total Playtime: 41:53 NOTICE: Digital and vinyl release date Dec. 10, 2021 CD release was origially planned for around Jan. 22, 2022 but was delayed and pushed to March 25, 2022 https://www.discogs.com/release/22689920-Mondaze-Late-Bloom https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/poprock/detail/-/art/mondaze-late-bloom/hnum/10725764 * Formed in Faenza (Italy) in 2016 Mondaze released their first home recorded demo at the end of 2018. Mixing the different musical backgrounds of each member, ranging from punk and hardcore to metal and screamo, Mondaze create a powerful "heavy shoegaze" with a strong wall of sound. 'Late Bloom' is their first studio album. * Wer 08/15-Post-Rock beschleunigt, Gesang addiert und den Fuzz ordentlich aufdreht, erhält drückenden Shoegaze. Bei den jungen Italienern Mondaze führt die Formel zum Erfolg. * "Late Bloom", das Debütalbum der 4-köpfigen Band Mondaze aus Faenza (Italien) ist düster, schwer und laut. Nennen Sie es schweren Dream-Pop oder Shoegaze mit schweren Post-Punk-Erzählungen. Mondaze wurde 2016 gegründet und hat bereits Ende 2018 ein selbst aufgenommenes Demo veröffentlicht. 2020 hat die Band die Aufnahmen zu »Late Bloom« mit Enrico Baraldi abgeschlossen. Die Einflüsse kommen aus den verschiedenen musikalischen Hintergründen der einzelnen Mitglieder, die von Hardcore, Punk, Screamo bis Metal reichen. Der Gesang und die Texte von Matteo Vandelli sind fesselnd, düster und schön zugleich, eingefangen von stampfenden Drums, verzerrten Gitarrenwänden und Margherita Mercatalis bitter-süßen, messerscharfen, verhallten Melodien. "Late Bloom" trifft einen wie ein Gewicht mit seinen üppigen Atmosphären und seiner Variabilität in der Einfachheit. * Discovering new bands is absolutely thrilling, especially when they're good and you see potential in them. Many underrated bands who put out great things don't get the recognition they deserve. Hopefully, that won't be true for Mondaze. This shoegaze band hailing from Faenza, Italy got their start in 2016. After releasing their demo Healing Dreams, they're back and ready to put out their full length album, Late Bloom. This album is heavy, spacey, and has way more direction and energy than their previous demo. The production in this album is fantastic. Each song has a distinct feel to it, harnessing a mix of shoegaze and post-hardcore, sonically. The vocals are distant, being overshadowed by the cacophony of instruments, but after hearing the album, it seems intentional. The main event is how well these songs are composed, and how Mondaze makes each track sound. Distorted guitars that are played over crisp drums, the tones of each guitar, how heavy it all sounds, and a lingering softness that flows through each song makes Late Bloom truly incredible. Opening on "Concrete", this four-minute song is a great opener, one that really solidifies the path that this album takes. Throughout the ten track album, it seems apparent that bands like Hum and Nothing were wildly inspirational to the making of Late Bloom, and are probably held close to the heart of Mondaze. Singles "Words Undone" and "Lost" were put out, and both seem to show the different worlds where Mondaze resides. "Words Undone" is a more shoegaze-oriented song, still parading around a heavy sound, but more focused on the feeling and tone, whereas "Lost" shows a more post-hardcore side of the band. Granted, those two genres play off of one another nicely, especially on Late Bloom, but the difference is apparent in these two songs. Don't let the singles fool you though. Mondaze are very much multidimensional. "Interlude" brings a spacey, atmospheric instrumental song to the table, where as the closing song "Incense Smell" brings the best of both the post-hardcore and shoegaze sound in a nice mix, and ends the album on this approximately seven minute song. There is something for everyone on this album, and Mondaze are truly deserving of more fanfare. They're a dynamic band that has direction and room for growth, but this isn't a bad starting point. Be sure to give Late Bloom a listen when it drops December 10 via Church Road Records. This is something you won't want to sleep on. * Shoegaze ist einer der Sounds der Stunde und feiert ein lässiges Comeback. Das ruft selbstverständlich eine Vielfalt an Ansätzen und Interpretationen auf den Plan, darunter auch jenen der Italiener Mondaze. Das Quartett aus der Keramikstadt Faenza bemüht sich um eine Variante aus dem Spielbuch von Nothing und Konsorten - mehr Heavyness, das Umlegen von Hardcore-Konzepten auf die Alternative-Stilisierung. Nach einem ersten Demotape landet "Late Bloom" nun einen Volltreffer im Albumformat. Das Ergebnis klingt wunderbar räudig und unbequem, zugleich irgendwie wohlig und wärmend. "Words Undone" geht mit gutem Beispiel voran und hangelt sich von einem omin"sen Intro in eine echte Wuchtbrumme, die sich mit Nachdruck entlädt, gefühlt Gift und Galle speit, dabei immer tiefenentspannt bleibt. Dafür braucht es auch keine großen Worte - ein Konzept, dem auch "How Soon Is Soon?" folgt. Mehr Drive mit Punk- und Metal-Schlagseite lässt das Gebälk erzittern. Das Quartett spielt sich in einen Rausch, durch bratende Intensität und tief im Arrangement eingebettete Gesangsfetzen begleitet. Der kurze, vers"hnliche Wurmfortsatz wickelt um den imaginären kleinen Finger. "Concrete" eröffnet mit langer Stille, dann baut sich eine gewaltige Wand auf. Für Mondaze klingen die Vocals fast schon laut und durchdringend, während rundherum abermals wuchtiger Shoegaze mit Post-Rock-, Alternative- und sogar Doom-Ideen flirtet. Zentnerdicke Wände bauen sich bedrohlich und bedrückend auf. Im Gegensatz dazu wirkt "Swirl Back" aggressiv und angepunkt, geht mit schroffem Druck nach vorne und räumt samt Riffwand alles ab. Eine solche bietet auch das überlange Finale "Incense Smell", bloß noch luftiger und noch entschleunigter als zuletzt. Der Minimalismus der Dinge lullt im besten Sinne ein. Über weite Strecken gibt sich "Late Bloom" dem versöhnlichen, dem hoffnungsvollen Momentum hin. Zwar verzichten Mondaze auf den Fluff und Plüsch ähnlicher Shoegaze-Kollegen, flattern aber dennoch mit wachsender Begeisterung durch luftigen Wahnsinn. Zunehmende Heavyness mit metallischen Grundideen bekommt dem Einstand auf Albumlänge blendend, raubt sämtliche Sinne im gemächlichen Tempo und nimmt doch in den Arm. Aus diesem Würgegriff kann man sich nicht so recht behaupten, will man auch nicht. Das 40minütige Stockholm-Syndrom strahlt eine ganz eigentümliche, süchtig machende Faszination aus. * An unsuspecting but powerful winter gift blossoms in the heavy, gazey haze of Late Bloom - a debut to take notice of from impressive Italian outfit Mondaze. I'm watching the last threads of winter sun set on a particularly crisp, picturesque December afternoon, as the closing bars of "Stay" dissipate in my ears with full force. It's a little past the midpoint of Late Bloom, but Mondaze had me hooked on their debut studio album long before I even reached this point. While it's no horror show by any means - pleasantly far from it, in fact - I will say that this album is best experienced with the lights off; it complements the darkness beautifully. For the uninitiated, a collage of ethereal, heavy shoegaze eagerly awaits you from the Faenza foursome - combining a dense, almost grunge-like rhythm tone with vocals and lead melodies so stratospheric, you'd be forgiven for thinking they might actually disappear off into the darkened reaches of the cosmos altogether were they not anchored into the mix. It's undeniably appealing and crafted wonderfully, making Mondaze one of my favourite new discoveries of the year. Interstellar travel and ambience aside, Late Bloom is in no rush to go anywhere, but rather bids you sit and enjoy it. With most of the songs, you likely won't be provoked into excessive motion - rather, you may decide to slow down, or even stop altogether and watch the last slivers of daylight give way to a glistening night-time canvas. Should this be the case, Mondaze create soundscapes that are perfect fodder for the shadowy recesses and fleeing light; despite this being their first full-length outing, the quartet are more than comfortable there and stand tall with ease among their peers. "Honest Feelings" possesses a surprising sense of immediacy, spurned on by expansive choral calls of 'I just want to feel something'. Yet, even here Mondaze make room for contemplation, an albeit brief haven in an otherwise impassioned, uptempo track. I will also add that follow-up "Interlude" is lengthier than its title had me assume, manifesting as an enjoyable sort of instrumental post-rock sibling to the other tracks, one that arguably runs long enough to be considered a 'fuller' song (whatever that even means). If you tend to skip 'interlude' tracks, gloss over this one at your peril. The vocals, it must be said, are almost unintelligible at times, such is their sprawling, smoke-like nature. With certain passages so breathy they could be misconstrued as distant screaming (an aspect of vagueness I genuinely enjoy), it lends an air of grace and mystery to the ten tracks present, while also offering the eventual reward of deeper understanding for the attentive, repeat listener. This is especially noticeable on "Endless" - a slow, wandering track whose first half is laced with a mild emo undertone to its barely flickering energy. Another prime example is the very literal sonic wash of "Words Undone" (see above). Juggling a musical sense of wistfulness with wonder and hope, it's become one of my favourites from an all-round strong record. The song is a musical monsoon of layers that drench the listener, with the downpour practically blotting out most of the vocals. Fortunately, I'm a supreme fan of thick texture in music, so I was thoroughly satisfied when the second half of this track swept in and everything slowed to half time for a stadium-sized finish. That immersion and enjoyment is a common factor with Late Bloom; the swathes of instrumentation provided here are the perfect vehicle for Mondaze to draw you in. The album is a versatile journey, where dynamic peaks and valleys vary the scenery and keep things refreshing. For example, after both the charismatic, punkish first half of "How Soon Is Soon?" and gradual climax of closing track "Incense Smell", we are provided more shimmering moments of clean guitar to help digest the copious walls of distortion we've become willfully trapped within. While this reverberating distortion found throughout Late Bloom is wholeheartedly welcome, these infrequent sections of soothing string work offer a tonal variety that keeps things interesting and inviting. It's by no means a feat accomplished purely by the guitar, either. A wealth of musical styles and influences - all admittedly from the louder side of life - are woven in from the backgrounds of each member. As prevalent as those impenetrable mists of guitar are, "Lost" finds the utterances of 'Illusion, life is an illusion/Illusion, 'till it comes to a conclusion' driven largely by the bass work and some flourishes of off-beat snare. The aforementioned "Incense Smell" even concludes with a rare glimpse of piano thrust into the foreground. Little touches, but they work wonders in the album's broader perspective. Despite its name, Late Bloom certainly doesn't wait until its final stages to grab your attention. Instead, it captivates quickly as it bursts into deep shades of vibrant life before blossoming continuously as the record plays out. Mondaze balance their sound and energy staggeringly well, providing plenty of dynamic amid the distortion to keep you here, safe and sound under the soothing weight of their gazey blanket. -=- SHGZ -=- -=-=-==-=-=- Shoegaze is a genre of alternative rock that originated in the late 80s. The genre is very difficult to define, and it is even more difficult to evaluate music within it. Generally, the genre is characterized by its shimmering vocals, reverberating guitars, and textural distortion that create a tranquil, opaque feeling. ---==--==---