After numerous lineup changes and periods of inactivity, Monkey Temple finally released their much awaited album “Shades of Grey” this June. Of the original lineup, only one, Sareen Deoja on vocal, remains while its new members include Pratap Risal on drums, Samrat Shah on bass, Srijan Bikram Gewali, and Prawol Bhattarai on guitars. With such a heavy change of cast, it can be presumed that the sound of the band has changed as well; and on that front, we aren’t disappointed.
Forget about “Black Bee and the Flower” or “Stoned @ 920,” the new album sounds very changed if not completely different. The crisp sounds of all the instruments, sound separation and controlled distortion weren’t something to be found in the past, however, are found consistently in “Shades of Grey.” The unique elongated vocal of Deoja is still there to be found. Also the alternative-rock tag that the band has acquired is even solidified with this album.
Content-wise consisting of eight songs, the album literally comes out with a bang and goes out with a bang, but it sort of fades in and out in the middle. The first and last song, “Anumati” and “Swapnama” respectively are surely the standout songs which define the album.
Anumati, with its light distortion guitar in the beginning and the uncompromising vocals, is catchy and appealing. The beat, timing as well as precision guitar work is predominant not only in this song but the entire album, a fact well worth mentioning.
Swapnama is fast and packed in comparison to other songs in the album. The lyrics jumps out at you and does make you want to sing along at particular instances. Being the final song of the album, Swapnama has a lot of energy that leaves a good impression in the end.
However, the bass line in many parts of the album is a little overshadowed by other instruments, which can be disappointing for people who love the sound of bass. Even with the equalizer set to boost bass, there are still moments when the bass just fades off and is overwhelmed.
The only exception may be “Yesto Kahile,” where the bass plays an important part in the song. Also being the only song where Prawol Bhattarai sings with backing vocals by Deoja, it provides a change that’s agreeable to listen to, and leaves you asking if the two should combine on more songs vocally. The guitar work, on the other hand, in the whole album is simple and not shred-work on the fretboard, which is very suitable to the songs.
“Prashna” is Deoja’s questioning thoughts about galaxies and the universe. The theme of the song is quite grasping. However, the music doesn’t quite gel and produces a feeling not quite understandable or pleasing.
“Man Chade Maichyanglai” is a completely different case. Being Danny Denzongpa’s original, Monkey Temple cover the song with a different approach. Heavy distortion along with the playful lyrics is something that can wind up a crowd in a concert immediately. A boozy type of vocals by Deoja helps even more. The drums on the song are quite simple, yet interesting to listen to.
“Hamro Geet” and “Ananta Samman” are both tedious to listen to. You feel that there’s something missing in the songs, which completely destroys the balance. After you listen to Hamro Geet a few times, however, it does feel okay if not altogether good. “Swatantra” is the only song in the album which has to be termed neither good nor bad. The lyrics do stand out, yet the entire feel of the song is unsatisfactory.
All in all, the album is pleasing to listen it. However, there are only a few instances in the whole album where it hits out and amazes. Yet still, it’s satisfying to know that in a country where Pop dominates the mainstream and Metal is overly prevalent in the not-so-mainstream “underground” scene, bands like Monkey Temple are still there to influence youngsters and let them know that there are more genres to follow than the usual clichéd ones.
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