#menin

The Menin Road by N. E. Fiske

~By Jacob Mazlum~

Lord of Pain by Menin

As the slew of Bandcamp-savvy artists increase and even niche genres become saturated with new acts it can be difficult to keep up with new releases. Blogs and underground publications deftly balance click-magnet major release pieces with an admirable commitment to providing lesser known bands with valuable exposure. Such articles are often what bring smaller artists the attention and recognition they deserve, but are frequently passed over in favour of big-league names releasing on big-league labels.

This is the only conceivable explanation for why Lord of Pain by Menin is only now being reviewed after its release in September 2017. Menin are a four-piece from Portland whose sound can be given plenty of evocative labels, yet seem to sit most comfortably in the "stoner" camp due to the band’s tell-tale flow and liberal use of extended melodic passages. There is little soporific pentatonic noodling to be found here, however, with Menin effortlessly injecting a caustic roughness into almost every aspect of their sound.

It begins with the riffs themselves, dark nasty things adorned with diminished intervals and Maiden-galloping rhythms. Spiked up as they sound, however, these riffs remain firmly stoner in nature and sit comfortably into the groove of the rhythm section. They can shift dynamically or they can go on and on and on, and in neither case will you want any given part to be otherwise. Vocals briefly sit atop these, sullenly melodic in Om-worship or with bellowed Celtic Frost-like grunts, yet are sparingly used to leave most passages tastefully instrumental.

The lyrics themselves do not appear to have had much time lost on them, though the subject matter is fitting and their delivery adds heavily to the conceptual feel of the EP. A quick Google search revealed the lyrics to be inspired by fantasy and sci-fi fiction, unfortunately a pet peeve of mine in the genre but a staple part of any good stoner-doom release for many.

The production is rough, replacing the otherwise predictable heft with some highly satisfying grit. It’s different, it works, and it gives us a release that sounds as lacerative as the ruby-eyed creature that bedecks the album art. It’s clear that not all stoner/doom fans appreciate a Jesus Lizard edge to their bands, but those that do could find plenty to love in the production and overall sound here.

Yet for all the talk of the harsher elements of this release, these rougher components never feel overpowering, and through its runtime Lord of Pain retains the easy-going warmth upon which the stoner genre rests. Songs roll and twist adeptly from one section to the next, and there emerges a palpable sense that these guys know what they’re doing.

Film By Billy Goate

With Lord of Pain, Menin showcase their talents to make an EP that shakes off the "pre-LP" shroud that hangs over many such releases. This is an EP that deserves to be enjoyed on its own merits and boasts a runtime that makes getting familiar with it more than worth the effort.

Finally for full disclosure, my band, Kurokuma, are currently in the process of releasing our new EP on Doom Stew, the same label that put out Lord of Pain last year. This warrants giving the present review a clear "conflict of interests" warning so you might want to ignore every word written, or alternatively you can trust the writer has an ounce of integrity and check out what this great release has to offer.

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Paul Nash, The Menin Road