The Monsters Took Over Monte’s: Monsters Are Human Album Release Recap

On September 5, Monsters Are Human celebrated the release of their self-titled debut album at Monte’s in Dartmouth, and they brought some friends along to make a night of it.

With Echoeseven and Coyote Defence Simulation joining the bill, three very different takes on heavy music shared the stage for a night built around original music, mental health, identity and, eventually, the Backstreet Boys.

Because apparently that's becoming a Sable Audio tradition.

Echoeseven Kicked Off the Madness

Echoeseven had the job of starting the night, and they wasted absolutely no time bringing the metalcore madness.

This band is proof that heavy music belongs to anyone willing to get onstage and own it.

Lead vocalist Lea delivered incredible vocals throughout the set, but it would be wrong to talk about Echoeseven without mentioning their bassist, who somehow manages to deliver absolutely monstrous bass lines while also unleashing some ridiculous screams.

Frankly, one person should not be allowed to play bass that well and scream like that.

It's unfair to the rest of us.

Beyond simply being heavy, Echoeseven brought songs with something to say. One of the standout moments of their set tackled society's expectations around how we're supposed to look and the pressure to fit somebody else's idea of what is acceptable.

For a night centred around an album exploring mental health, identity and the monsters people carry inside themselves, it couldn't have fit the theme better.

Coyote Defence Simulation Changed the Groove

Next up was Coyote Defence Simulation, bringing the night over to the prog-rock side of the heavy-music spectrum.

These guys have been around for a while, and it shows.

Their set was incredibly tight, with catchy grooves, stellar vocals and the kind of chemistry that comes from musicians who know exactly how to play off one another.

Changing genres in the middle of a three-band bill can sometimes interrupt the momentum of a show. Here, it did the opposite.

Coyote Defence Simulation brought a different kind of energy without losing the weight of the night, giving the audience something completely different before things got very, very dark.

Because the monsters were next.

The Curtain Goes Up... Sort Of

When it was finally time for Sable Audio's own Monsters Are Human, there was one problem.

You couldn't see the stage.

A large white curtain had been hung across the front, completely hiding the band while the room settled down.

Then the projection began.

Quotes appeared across the curtain exploring the idea of humans as monsters, accompanied by an eerie soundtrack that slowly pulled the room into the world behind the band's self-titled album.

The conversations around the bar started getting quieter.

People turned toward the stage.

The atmosphere changed.

And then...

CURTAIN DROP.

Full-blown metalcore monster madness.

Monsters Are Human launched into the album and proceeded to perform the entire record live.

And they have never sounded better.

Hearing the Album the Way It Was Meant to Be Heard

One of the things we've talked about since Monsters Are Human was released is how deliberately the album flows from one track into the next.

It's a record about the monsters inside us: trauma, identity, relationships, depression, anger and eventually finding the strength to take back control.

Hearing that journey performed from beginning to end brought another dimension to it.

The synths and atmospheric elements that give the album its cinematic quality translated beautifully into the live show, while the screams, riffs and breakdowns brought considerably more violence to the equation.

Every member of the band came ready to deliver.

And after travelling through the entire emotional arc of the record, how else could Monsters Are Human possibly finish their album release show?

Backstreet Boys.

Obviously.

Their metalcore reimagining of “Larger Than Life” closed out the set and once again proved that turning a Backstreet Boys song into a metalcore track is a surprisingly effective way to end a heavy show.

What the Crowd Had to Say

We could tell you how much we loved the night, but we might be slightly biased.

So we asked some of the people who were there.

Lea from Echoeseven summed up what nights like this can mean for the scene:

“A true showing of what the metal core scene has to offer and will continue to offer. When we support local musicians, amazing art is made and great line ups can keep being pushed for all to enjoy.”

Reagan from Montgomery Night had particular appreciation for the rhythm section:

“All three bands went very well together. I really loved all the bassists lol. MAH album sounded great. Love the use of synth and the screams. The BSB cover is always a crowd pleaser. The vid at the beginning was well done.”

And Devon from After The Ashes reflected on just how much work went into bringing the album to the stage:

“All three bands blew me away! The sound and production on the night was spot on! All of the hard work Monsters put into that night and the album really paid off and it was a pleasure watching them perform the album in its entirety! Every member crushed it and I can’t wait to see what they do next!”

We couldn't have said it much better ourselves.

One More Celebration Before Going Home

The music might have been finished, but Monsters weren't quite done.

After the show, the band held several draws, including shirts, CDs and a spa package generously donated by Michelle Dicks of Earth Body Elements Holistic Clinic.

Then came the signing.

Monsters Are Human spent plenty of time after the show signing CDs and talking with the people who came out to support the release.

With the band beginning to attract more attention following the album's release, those signed copies might end up being a pretty cool piece of Monsters Are Human history.

Just saying.

Support Local Heavy Music

There was something particularly fitting about the three bands that came together for this show.

They don't sound the same.

They aren't trying to.

But Echoeseven, Coyote Defence Simulation and Monsters Are Human each demonstrated a different piece of what our local heavy-music community has to offer.

That's the kind of lineup we want to see more of.

Original bands taking chances. Musicians supporting other musicians. Audiences showing up for songs they've never heard before. Local artists being given the opportunity to turn an album release into something bigger than simply playing another set.

Monsters Are Human put an enormous amount of work into creating this album and bringing its world onto the stage.

On September 5, they finally got to let the monsters out.

And judging by the night they had, we don't think they're going back in anytime soon.