Monument

With Miss May I’s sophomore studio album, the Troy, Ohio quintet bestow more progressive guitar leads and continue to unleash a raw, underground metalcore sound unspoiled by the commercial success of their debut LP Apologies Are for the Weak. Lead singer Levi Benton screams, growls and howls with demonic guttural bursts that make Dethklok’s Nathan Explosion sound like Katy Perry, especially on the opening cut “Our Kings” which comes tearing out of the speakers on a maelstrom of dueling guitar leads as bass player Ryan Neff’s humble crooning rubs against the grain of Benton’s throat-shredding wails. “Masses of a Dying Breed” opens with otherworldly ambiance before ascending guitarmonies blast off over propulsive double-kick drums firing off like automatic artillery. This number is a prime example of the band’s well-crafted breakdowns into more melodic topographies. Melody aside, the harder stuff can be found on the brutal onslaught of “Answers,” the ear-drum pummeling “Creations” and weighty bonus track “Rust” which features Bleeding Through’s Brandan Schieppati.