MONUMENTS formed in 2006, but didn't release their first album until 2012. For a fairly large band, there isn't much information available on them in the WWW, nor though their record label, other than the fact that they are a well-known Progressive/Experimental Groove Metal band, with about 160,000 Facebook fans. "Phronesis" is their third release, and contains ten tracks.

"A.W.O.L." leads off the album, with some string and a super-heavy rhythm. The drumming is fantastic here...Lang hits the off beats and accents the down beats as the guitars keep pace. Clean vocal harmonies pour over you in the chorus, healing the wounds that were caused in the verses. "Hollow King" is a bit shorter, but no less intense. There is a dissonant guitar sound djenting hard, and the vocals are absolutely raging. "Vanta" opens with what sounds like bells, and a groovy, djenty rhythm high with melody. It's really a great track when they let some of the aggressiveness aside and let the melody do some work, while the weight of the rhythm is absolutely crushing. A sweet little piano fade-out provides the closing.

"Mirror Image" is the longest song on the album, at close to five minutes. The steady rhythm is hushed with clean vocals and a somber tone, as the harsh vocals lash out like barbs of wire. "Ivory" opens with a heavy groove, from the drop-tuned guitars and livid vocals that back off a bit during the second verse, with the bass guitar slapping steadily away. "Stygian Blue" has a mostly melancholy sound to it, talking about "never gonna let me be...what they hell do you want from me...leave me the fuck alone." The vocal harmonies feel a little bit over-formulated here to me. "Leviathan" swings back the other way, with some Progressive rhythms and an attacking style of guitars. Here is where they really showcase some skills in timing. The vocals ease over the punch of the instrumentation quite well.

"Celeste" is more accessible, almost pop-oriented, and there is never anything wrong with this. It has a familiar sound to it, until the damaging sequence near the end. "Jukai" is deep and dynamic, with the steady thwack of bass guitar, amidst some great polyrhythms that seem to come out of nowhere. I like the dark and brooding style presented here. "The Watch" closes out the album, with a mid-tempo rocker that uses both clean and harsh vocals to make its point. Overall, I feel this is a good album, but fails to reach its total potential. There are moments of brilliance sandwiched between moments of "I've heard this before," and ten tracks just wasn't quite enough to really peak my interest.