The career of the most unusual musical project, italian band MonumentuM, begins in 1987 in a simple poor garage in Milano where Roberto Mammarella and Anthony Duman ocasionally rehearsed.
Their first work "Musaeum Hermeticum" was released as a demo in 1989 and gathered 5 songs. For this session, they recruited Mox and Mark Westfall to complete the line-up. Just 180 copies were sold but even today is a hard to get collectible that builds a solid image to the italian underground and more.
After a short break-up of the band in 1990, Obscure Plasma Records picked 2 songs from the demo and released a split MonumentuM/Rotting Christ that stands out today as an authentic cult object. The record had a great reaction in Norway followed by a great achievement of the band: signing with Euronymous' Deathlike Silence Production.
The tragic death of Mayhem's vocalist next year makes the release of first MonumentuM album impossible. Roberto and Mox, the only members left, get in the end a contract with british Misanthropy Records. Ironic, this label produced a Burzum album, the project of Euronymous' assasin, Varg Vikernes.
In 1995 the line-up is renewed with Andrea Zanetti as the main vocalist and Francesca Nicoli from Ataraxia as a session member. MonumentuM releases "In Absentia Christi" probably the most obscure album created on italian land ever, an album in which suffering melts with nihilism and depression entwines with sorrow. The musical side is striking and the lyrics are overwhelmingy meaningful, even those which are the reinterpretation of poems by Tarchetti or Leopardi. The album contains a dark unique version of Visage's Fade To Grey and the songs are linked and crossfade like it is a concept album. The record is succesfully acclaimed by the underground even though is very hard to diggest.
But this is the beginning of silence. Roberto Mammarella being a practical, coherent person stated that it's no use to write another album since everything had been told. Time passes and they release only 2 songs in 6 years, one for the Misanthropy compilation, and another for a Death SS tribute.
So after 6 years with a fresh line-up, Roberto obtains a contract with Moonfog, Satyr's label and then they are moved to a more experimental label, Tatra Records also property of Moonfog. So "Ad Nauseam" the second album sees the light of day. The new album is totally diverse: 2-3 songs like In Absentia Christi, a new cover version (Perche il mio amore - Fausto Rossi), very rythmic songs with beats, melodic ones, but allover very dark and obsessive like any other MonumentuM release. This is nothing like the previous one but in the end it is not supposed to;so is another unique pearl.
2004 brings the definitive break up of the band, sadly enough and symbollicaly leaving us another gem of music that is a must have for every fan, a collection of rare, remixed and unreleased tracks from 1987 till 2004. The record is called "Metastasi" and contains 14 tracks. This is like a gift for defuncts, the final stage of cancer before death, and it stands proudly at the end of a legend' career.
But the story continues...
Releases
Rehearsal(Demo,1988- Self Produced)
Musaeum Hermeticum(Demo,1989- Self Released) - Originally limited to 180 copies.
Re-released in 1999 in MCD format by Necropolis Records
Wow...can't believe someone found Bloodstar and actually put it up on the internet. And if I'm not mistaken I think I even hear some noises from the vinyl needle. All the respect to Monumentum. In absentia christi will follow me to the grave...Charon is sick of coins. He needs Monumentum.
Hello !! I'm Hidenobu From Japan Thank you for adding me. I always listen your Music, like a treasure to cherish. A cold winter in Italy ? Please take care yourself. I would like to go to Italy one day.
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