The Word Alive - MONOMANIA Review

I first listened to The Word Alive when “Battle Royale” off of their How to Build an Empire EP was featured on Rock Band 2’s Rock Band Network service. That was ten years ago, when the band had just enlisted Tyler “Telle” Smith as their vocalist. Shortly after came their debut album Deceiver, one of my favorites of the era, and the band skyrocketed to a successful decade. Now that we have entered 2020, the band’s newest effort MONOMANIA is releasing on February 21st.

Monomania is defined as “exaggerated or obsessive enthusiasm for or preoccupation with one thing“. This is an excellent base for lyrical content, as this is a behavior everyone has been guilty of at some point. Leading up to this album’s release, the band released four singles. There is a format on the newest single’s release, “Searching For Glory”, that has the other three singles play after it. I appreciate this option as it can be cumbersome to switch from single to single.

In recent albums, The Word Alive has taken a tonal shift in their sound. The metalcore sound heard in How to Build an Empire and Deceiver is now more post-hardcore and is significantly softer. Other bands that have taken this drastic change are Asking Alexandria, Memphis May Fire, and Our Last Night. I don’t mind when a band changes their sound; I’ve fallen in love with bands like Deftones, Hundredth, and Title Fight after doing so. However, some bands unfortunately, digress in quality when they try something new.

As a whole, MONOMANIA is not for me. It does not innovate or expand on The Word Alive’s past releases enough for me to call it a standout album in the band’s discography. The instrumentation comes off as generic and each track blends into the next, save for the title track, “KF”, and “Burning Your World Down”. Telle’s vocals are at the forefront, and while he is a supremely-talented singer, the rest of the band takes a backseat to it. Gone is the gifted Luke Holland, a drummer who adds flair to every song he touches.

This is not to say that MONOMANIA is a bad album, more that it is just a bit lackluster for a longtime fan like myself. Bands like A Day to Remember and I Prevail have managed to burst into the mainstream after softening their sound. The Word Alive’s shift doesn’t do it for me, as the guitar riffs have been heard time and time again from similar acts instead of the memorable solos from old songs like “The Hounds of Anubis” and famous lyrics like “I’d rather die than live a life without meaning” from “Life Cycles”.

MONOMANIA has the potential to rock the socks off new listeners and even long-time fans who have embraced the band’s change and individuals who are more vocal-centric. Telle has some great runs in this album, with shrill uncleans and catchy choruses. Those desiring the full package with striking instrumental sections will not be appeased, though. It is serviceable, but no risks are taken, so it is hard to give praise. Nevertheless, MONOMANIA is worth your time, and only you can decide if it’s for you or not. Let us know what you think of the singles so far in the comments below!