THE MONOLITHIC DEATH CULT is an extreme metal band from the Netherlands that formed in 2002. They started out as a death metal band but turned into some sort of industrial/electronic death metal hybrid later. "V3" is their seventh full length album. The exact full title of this album is "V3 - Vernedering: Connect The Goddamn Dots." That is a long cumbersome title which goes along with how I feel about this album as well.

As a reviewer, I give multiple listens to each album—I have a decent commute to work which affords me that luxury.  I say this  because even after many, many listens....I'm still not one hundred percent sure how I feel about this album. I certainly don't hate it. I can also safely say I don't care for it. So it is average? That is my best summation. Why do I feel this way? Hard to say. When the songs actually get out of their own way and click while the band fires on all cylinders then the album is highly enjoyable. Sparks of death metal excess pop up on occasion and the album is all the better for it. A band who can pull that off is obviously above average.

But much of the time, this just sounds like too much industrial techno babble. The constant sound bites really keep the songs from reaching their potential. I understand this is a hall mark of industrial music but that doesn't mean I have to enjoy it. Another element that puts me off are the cringe filled spoken word portions. I'm not sure if it's a band member that does the voice overs or not but they really take me out of the album.

This leads to another issue I have: the album's tone. I don't know if a lot of the content here is meant to funny, tongue in cheek or if the band is serious. It throws off my listening equilibrium. The album begins with the intro "Infowars" which is pointless and tries too hard to be funny for my tastes. The next song,"Connect The Goddamn Dots" is filled with more sound bites that I can't understand what it even being said. I like the keyboards and the guitar tone and the vocals are are decent. But the riffs themselves are rather boring and remind me of FEAR FACTORY on steroids but without the charm. But the riffs behind the solo about halfway thru the song do their best to save the song, as do the deep death growls. This is what I was talking about earlier: when the band forgets the humor and trims the excess, they throw down.

"Vernedering" spends too long with the random vocal sounds cluttering up an otherwise solid musical landscape.  I think this track highlights my real issue with album: there is so much going on that it sounds messy. Still, I loved the vocals that are almost barked out like a wild animals and both the guitar and bass pummel. "Blood Libels" could have been a great instrumental but the spoken word straight up annihilates all the enjoyment.

The final track, "L'Ouverture de Morose" is nearly 13 minutes long but after the ten and half minute mark or so, it just turns into more of that guy talking. And then it goes to silence again. Then that guy talks some more. Why? Did my promo copy have a hidden track added on? Or are the last four minutes of the song really this pointless? Still, the actual song is pretty damn good. The chanting/clean vocals is a nice touch and the whole song sounds ominous, expansive and cinematic.

Perhaps I am missing the point entirely of this album. Maybe the band or fans of them will read this review and think I'm a fucking idiot. And maybe they are right–perhaps I just can't connect the goddamn dots.  But I tried. Sue me.