Israeli trio known for their circus-style performances craft a third album for Drag City that fails to match the energy or chaos of their live shows.
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Before I listened to Not Yet, Monotonix's third album for Drag City, I thought I might actually be able to review it without mentioning the Israeli trio's circus-style live act. After all, their previous two records were surprisingly good for a band known more for spectacle than their music, which tends to get lost in all their live chaos. So it seemed possible that they had reached a level where their sound itself could be as noticeable as their shows.
You can tell by now how that worked out. It turns out that Not Yet is an apt title for this collection of unambitious grunge-punk tunes. Monotonix remain beholden to the kind of churning, muscular groove carved out by the Stooges and Mudhoney. There's no doubt they're good disciples-- Singer Ami Shalev's howl rises and falls with guitarist Yonatan Gat's thick riffs and drummer Haggai Fershtman's punching beats. Every song is pretty enjoyable, but none is all that memorable. The grinding riff of "Before I Pass Away", the Mudhoney swing of "Fun Fun Fun", and the dramatic echoes of "Late Night" sound good when they're happening. But I'm more likely to remember the time I saw Shalev jump off a balcony than to hum any of these tunes from memory.
Which points out an odd paradox with Monotonix: If they're so into chaos when performing, why do their records sound so rote? Live, Shalev never lets anything get in the way of whatever crazy physical move leaps into his head. Yet he and his bandmates allow each song to stick to its opening riff and beat, playing so by-the-numbers that surprises are basically non-existent. Monotonix could stand to let go sonically-- take some left turns, mash up conflicting beats, devolve into noise, play something "wrong." They certainly have the energy to go a little crazy musically; no one can say Monotonix lack physical effort on Not Yet. But to get people to care as much about listening to them as witnessing their live shows, it's time to work on the muscles of their imagination.