Swedish Power Trio Monolord Lands at Berkeley's Cornerstone
By Dave Pehling
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- Celebrated psychedelic doom-metal band Monolord brings songs from its latest album Your Time to Shine to the Cornerstone Music Hall in Berkeley with fellow Swedish outfit Firebreather Thursday night.
Founded nearly a decade ago in 2013 by guitarist/singer Thomas V Jäger, drummer Esben Willems -- who had previously played together in the similarly minded band Marulk -- and bassist Mika Häkki, the trio was something of an outlier in Sweden's black-metal stronghold of Gothenburg. Monolord clearly took cues from lumbering metal pioneers Black Sabbath as well as the extended epics of latter-day doom icons Sleep and Electric Wizard. Signed to U.S. stoner/psych imprint Riding Easy Records, the band released its debut album Empress Rising the following year featuring Jäger's melodic vocals soaring over the band's towering riffs.
The trio would tour extensively, playing European festivals and embarking on their first visit to the U.S. with like-minded bands Windhand and Danava. Monolord gradually built a loyal following on both sides of the Atlantic with its pulverizing live shows and the tuneful yet crushing songs on subsequent efforts Vaenir (the following year) and the acclaimed Rust in 2017.
The next year the band signed with its current label Relapse Records, releasing their first effort with the imprint, No Comfort, in 2019. Forced to stay off the road amid the pandemic instead of touring, the trio issued the two-song EP I'm Staying Home last year ahead of it's latest melodic doom opus, Your Time to Shine. For this headlining return to the Bay Area at the Cornerstone in Berkeley, Monolord will be joined by fellow Gothenburg band Firebreather, who just released their second album on Riding Easy Records, Dwell in the Fog. The two bands take the show to Sacramento Friday night, playing at Harlow's.
Monolord with Firebreather
Thursday, March 3, 8:30 p.m. $20-$24
Cornerstone Berkeley
