Review MONKEY 3 ‘Welcome to the Machine’

Instrumental rockers Monkey 3 start their 2024 year with a new album. The band, hailing from Lausanne, Switzerland, started 2001 and released six longplayers. The latest one, ‘Sphere’, arrived at the record stores in 2019 and five year later the new longplayer ‘Welcome to the Machine’ is waiting for a release end of February.

Monkey 3 are into psychedelic stoner rock which they spice-up with some progressive elements. In a way the sound of the band reminds me of German post-rock masterminds Long Distance Calling, partly because of the music but also because of the approach.

‘Welcome to the Machine’ contains songs like the 10-minute opener ‘Ignition’ that creates galactic soundscapes, alternating between quieter moments and noisy riff attacks. The album features a five song tracklist but as three of the tunes clocks in at 10 minutes and more, the album still comes with a decent running time.

Next to the opener it is the massive ‘Kali Yuga’ and the closing ‘Collapse’ that belong to the cinematic moments of this longplayer with a Pink Floyd-ish momentum. Both songs are masterfully composed and showcase a variety of musical moments that need attention. This album is an ‘earphone-record’ as it demands time and focus. One can listen to it all day long, but each of the songs unveils its details while diving deeper into the world of Monkey 3’s musical vision.

‘Welcome to the Machine’ is inspired by ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ and similar movies. It is the mankind vs machine theme that acts as a common thread and connects the songs in a way. From melancholic darkness to hopeful sunrise the album transports emotions without words.

‘Welcome to the Machine’ is the most mature release of Monkey 3. This album stands out in many aspects and is worth to be listened to.