Mono - Hymn to the Immortal Wind

"We are not bound by the passing of time. Underneath every layer of the vessel that we call the body, there lies only the soul, where memory lives on."

Album Title: Hymn to the Immortal Wind
Album Artist: Mono

Track listing:
1. Ashes In The Snow (11:46)
2. Burial At Sea (10:39)
3. Silent Flight, Sleeping Dawn (6:00)
4. Pure As Snow (Trails Of The Winter Storm) (11:26)
5. Follow The Map (11:26)
6. The Battle To Heaven (12:51)
7. Everlasting Light (10:23)

Mono is a Japanese post rock band with something to say---without singing. These four musicians literally try to "kill their audience with noise." But don't let this fact make you think that this is just a noisy industrial album---far from it! They actually enlisted the help of a large string section for the recording of this album. The result is a beautiful classically influenced "rock" album that alternately lulls you to sleep with gentle string melodies and then jolts you awake with guitarbass&drum-walls-of-sound.

This is a "concept album," but I'd rather call it a "story album." There are 7 pages of full-color, beautifully illustrated artwork by Esteban Rey. On the flipside of each is a piece of narrative. The 7 pieces of artwork/narrative (one for each song) make up a story called "Hymn to the Immortal Wind." The whole project just fits together so beautifully, this is NOT an album to purchase on iTunes. You must have the package to get the whole experience.

I'm not going to try to explain all the songs... I'd rather let them speak for themselves... But I will say this. If you don't know where to start, listen to "Follow The Map." It's the shortest track on the album, but a very beautiful one. Mono used it as their "single" to promote this album (it worked on me!). If you like what you hear, dive deeper... Maybe give the wonderful "Pure As Snow" a listen, or the epic closing track "Everlasting Light." But I'd recommend just taking the plunge---listen to it all.

With lush passages and jarring moments flowing in and out of each other, adding to each other, and balancing each other out, this charming and beautiful project by Japanese post rockers Mono is an album you MUST hear.

My Take: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Highly recommended.

Album Highlights:
Pure As Snow (Trails of the Winter Storm)
Follow the Map
Everlasting Light

Links:
Mono on MySpace