Bi-coastal trio From Monument to Masses have regrettably fallen under the radar of the post-rock community. Although they have released three full-length albums since their inception in late 2000, they have not received nearly the levels of success enjoyed by peers Russian Circles or Pelican. This is poised to change with their latest album, On Little Known Frequencies. Produced by one-time Minus the Bear keyboardist and production wizard Matt Bayles, On Little Known Frequencies is a near sixty-minute post-rock epic with influences ranging from post-punk to hip-hop.

From Monument to Masses is a smart band. Aside from being incredibly knowledgeable when it comes to politics and issues related to social activism (all three members of the band are active in political activism in some way), they made the smartest move they could have ever have done by hiring Matt Bayles to work the console for On Little Known Frequencies. Through his experience working with bands such as Mastodon, Isis, Russian Circles and Minus the Bear, Bayles has developed an incredible knack for producing flawless records. The trend continues with On Little Known Frequencies. An epic, expansive record, its beautiful tones and textures together with intricate melodies and song structures result in an album that is as interesting to listen to as it is enjoyable.

Choosing to employ recorded samples of prominent political figures rather than traditional vocals, From Monument to Masses manage to create politically charged music while staying within the confines of the instrumental/post-rock genre. Samples from activist speeches and film clips are sparingly and carefully placed so as not to distract from the music but still retain their message. In fact, the clips add interesting dynamics to the songs and never become annoying (eg, Death Cab for Cutie’s, “Flustered/Hey Tomcat!”) or preachy. Samples are wisely placed and similar samples thematically appear on the same song, much like real lyrics. The band does not force political beliefs on listeners through the samples but encourages a further exploration of the history, and a more active participation in, the world of politics and social issues. Essentially, the political themes in On Little Known Frequencies are there if you want to explore them but are also so expertly integrated into the music that they are easily imagined as being simply another instrument.

Musically, this album is top notch and rivals some of the best recent instrumental/post-rock releases including Russian Circles’ magnificent 2008 album Station. Although labeled as post-rock, that classification barely reflects the sheer amount of influences and sound experimentation that exist on On Little Known Frequencies. Utilizing layers and layers of guitars, keyboard, and electronic samples, the album contains hints of a wide variety of genres from hardcore to electronic, from metal to hip-hop.

Opener “Checksum” begins with a looped keyboard riff accompanied by spacious guitar jolts and drum fills until a snare roll brings the song into full speed. While the opening keyboard riff continues in the background of much of the song, a myriad of guitar melodies and intricate drumming patterns keep the song alive and fresh. Hints of metal influence can definitely be heard in the drumming at the 1:34 mark and the keyboard parts from 3:14 onward prove that From Monument to Masses embrace their influence and eclectic tastes and are not afraid to let them loose on their albums.

Hidden beneath the intense, complicated drumming patterns and intricate guitar layering are some very catchy hooks. The closing minute of “(Millions of) Individual Facto” contains a repeated lead guitar melody that may easily get stuck in your head. The end of the track finds the band letting up on the layering that exists on the entire album and lets the beauty of that guitar melody breathe on its own. Not letting up, the song blends well into the album’s first single “Beyond Good & Elvis” which not only has one of the best song names I have heard in a long time but continues the trend of melodic guitar found in the previous songs in its opening. Although the song moves from its catchy beginnings into a more intense segment reflective of the band’s metal and post-hardcore influences, it returns triumphantly to a harmonious guitar duet backed by drummer Francis Choung’s expert rhythms.

The longest track from On Little Known Frequencies, “An Ounce of Prevention”, is a near nine and a half minute sprawling journey with so many twists, turns and switches that it serves as a perfect microcosm of the bands influences and tastes. Although the entire album consists of the combined elements of post-rock, metal, hardcore and electronic, this one song crams all of them together into a single expansive epic. Separated by an unaccompanied sample from Mario Savio’s “Operation of the Machine” speech from 1964, the second half of the song is an instrumental/post-rock masterpiece. Countless layers of guitars and keyboards coupled with Choung’s dynamic drumming bring the song, and in some ways the album, to a stunning climax that rivals anything I’ve heard in the genre.

From Monument to Masses, with the help of expert progressive producer Matt Bayles have created a spectacular post-rock blockbuster. The amount of varied influence and style together with the sheer virtuosity and intensity displayed by Matthew Solberg, Sergio Robledo-Moderazo and Francis Choung on the album makes for an incredible listening experience that I can easily say, without doubt or hesitation is one of the best post-rock records of the decade.

Track List

1. Checksum (6:26)
2. (Millions of) individual factories (5:43)
3. Beyond God & Elvis (4:44)
4. A sixth trumpet (5:35)
5. An ounce of prevention (9:19)
6. The first five (3:02)
7. Let them know it’s Christmastime (8:52)
8. Hammer & nails (8:12)

Links
From Monument to Masses’ homepage
From Monument to Masses’ Facebook page
From Monument to Masses’ MySpace page