Monuments

The Arc of Monuments

The pivots — what forced Monuments to reinvent.

1. 01

   The Gnosis Blueprint

   After the initial split with Joshua Travis, Browne had to prove Monuments wasn't just a side project or a shadow of Fellsilent. They tracked Gnosis with an almost clinical focus on staccato patterns, bringing in Matt Rose to handle the vocal gymnastics. The record sounds like a band trying to outrun its own influences, leaning hard into the 'groove' part of groove metal while stripping away any unnecessary fluff. It laid the foundation for the entire British tech-metal surge by prioritizing the pocket over the shred.

2. 02

   The Barretto Era Expansion

   Bringing Chris Barretto in for The Amanuensis changed the DNA of the band by introducing a theatrical, almost cinematic vocal range that the previous iterations lacked. This period saw the band move away from pure rhythmic density toward bigger melodic hooks and atmospheric textures. You can hear the confidence jump on tracks like 'I, the Creator,' where the interplay between the vocals and the complex syncopation actually feels like a conversation rather than a competition. It was the moment they stopped being a 'guitar player's band' and started writing actual songs.

3. 03

   The Cizek Reset

   Following a period of radio silence and the departure of Barretto, the arrival of Andy Cizek signaled a move toward a more modern, aggressive posture. Phronesis had its moments but felt like a band in transition, whereas In Stasis brought in Mick Gordon to sharpen the production edges into something much more industrial and punishing. The result is a heavier, more digitized version of their sound that leans into the bleakness of the compositions. It’s the sound of a band that finally stopped looking for a frontman and found a permanent gear.

Influences

• Meshuggah — Browne has repeatedly cited them as the reason he started playing 7-string guitars. You hear it in the foundational 'Martone' riffing and the relentless use of odd-time cycles over a steady 4/4 pulse. They provided the vocabulary that Monuments turned into a dialect.
• SikTh — They are the undisputed architects of the UK tech-metal scene that birthed Monuments. The frantic, dual-vocal energy and the jagged, 'bouncy' riff structures on early demos are a direct tribute to the groundwork laid on 'Trees Are Dead and Dried Out Wait Out to Disappear'.
• Pantera — Before the math-metal complexity, Browne was a self-described 'Dimebag Darrell kid.' That Southern-fried groove is the secret sauce that prevents their technical parts from feeling too academic. It's the reason their tracks still work in a mosh pit.
• Allan Holdsworth — The band’s lead phrasing and the complex, extended chord voicings often mirror Holdsworth’s jazz-fusion approach. You hear it most clearly in the 'ghostly' clean sections and the fluid, legato soloing styles that pop up between the heavy hitting.
• Periphery — The two bands shared more than just a genre; they shared a producer in Spencer Sotelo for early vocal tracking and a touring history that defined the 'djent' era. The cross-pollination of production techniques between the two camps in the early 2010s is why those first records have that specific, punchy snare snap.