Reviewed by Elliot Rose

"Hadwynn ventures to do things differently," clams the publicity blurb, and that is clearly an understatement! Right from the start, this three-piece from North Carolina have generated a wall of hard-hitting sound and energy. The 11-part onslaught opens with "Entrance" which sets the tone of the album, taking a familiar hymn, twisting it, and transforming it into a larger-than-life hard rock anthem, as if to say "forget what worship used to be - this is the future." With soaring harmonies, rich guitars and powerful drums, Hadwynn have created an original approach to Christian music. The lyrics are inspiring and thought provoking, written by frontman Daniel Moore, and delivered with passionate vocals throughout, although occasionally drowned out by the barrage of overdrive. My biggest problem however is that for all their innovation in style, a lot of the songs seem to merge together, rather than standing out individually and memorably - the exceptions being "O! The Noise!" and "Sort Of Grey" which are skillfully constructed and performed. Overall though, 'Monuments' is a very mature album.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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