A FRENCH FRENCH-CANADIAN AUSTRALIAN BAND BRINGS ITS DOOM DOWNUNDER

Photo by BBG/BrooklynVegan

Monarch are a doom metal band who are touring Australia with American groups, Eagle Twin and Unearthly Trance. Until recently they were based in France, which is weird because to this day, the drummer has lived in Melbourne. Even so, while your band of people who all live on the same continent can't get a gig at your uncle's snip-and-tie celebration, Monarch tours the world playing huge shows and selling heaps of records. You deserve to understand why. For this reason, we put some questions to the band. Bassist Michel and guitarist Shiran explained their mode of operation.

Vice: It's impressive that you've managed to function like this over such a long period of time: the asshole question here is, how did this happen?
Shiran: I think that it's just a matter of how you much you want it to happen. If you want your band to tour everywhere and do some kick ass shows everywhere you have to be committed to it, and I think that everyone in the band is really into it. We don't have regular jobs, just part time jobs that allow us to move whenever we want. The band before everything else in a few words. It's not that we're making sacrifice but it's not easy all day, but we won't complain cause we're living the life we've all dreamed of since we were teenagers.

Specifically, I meant how did you get to the point where you decided working with an Australian member is going to be easier than working with some asshole down your street?
Michell : It kind of just happened… We were looking for a drummer and our buddy Robert Macmanus offered to play, he flew out to France, we spent a week touring and writing a new record, put that down on tape in the studio, and have been meeting up for tour in different countries ever since. Seeing how everyone in the band is very implicated, it just seems to work out by itself. Real men play at ten.
Shiran: And today we also have to add an American asshole as we are now kind of a five piece. It's sometime difficult to find the right people able to play slow stuff like we do, and most of the assholes down our streets are more into techy metal or modern shit.

Talk a little about the Australian tour, in particular, about the bands that you are playing with.
Shiran: For this tour we're hitting the road with Eagle Twin and Unearthly Trance, two American kick ass bands. I'm really excited because the bill we have with this three bands will be some of the heaviest stuff you can see live.
Michell : Can't wait! Pure doom holocaust. Touring Australia is always such a blast!! Unearthly Trance are legends, perfect blackened crusty doom. And I' m really looking forward to seeing Eagle Twin. Such a heavy duo. There are also loads of locals acts that are going to slay. Were going to be playing some new material as well. Definitely looking forward to Coopers and Carlton Draught.

Are there any local bands that you are interested in seeing?
Michell : 4 Dead are always a blast, with their killer lives sets. Spacebong is really cool and heavy. No Anchor is great. Can t wait to see Summonus as well.

There are plenty of trivial differences between countries when it comes to touring, but can you think of anything notable when it comes to Australia?
Shiran: Touring Australia is a tough one cause the country is tough. Long drives and really brutal weather but in the same time you can see one of the most beautiful landscape ever. And when you're on the road, in the van it's all about looking through the van window, so it's very enjoyable when the landscape is as rich the Australian one. It's gonna be our third tour here so we're very happy to meet again people and friends that we met during these two last tours. We also gonna play in really great venues and clubs. I must say that Australian people are very generous when it comes to hospitality and we already know that we gonna spend some really great moments.
Michell : I'd say the hellish drives between shows… Also, I think that people in Australia are very appreciative of international acts that tour Australia. I've had people come up to me after shows in Australia and tell that they really hated the band but we're very thankful that we came all the way over here. I thought that was very thoughtful.

For those ignorant of French geography, could you talk a little about the town where you are from?
Shiran: Originally Monarch is from Bayonne a little town near the Spanish border, mountains and sea. It's in the Basque country. It's a very nice town with few things to do but it's OK cause we have one of the highest concentrations of bars in France plus we have mountains and the Atlantic Ocean. Enough to find inspiration!
Michell: Bayonne is also the birthplace of the bayonet. Not much happens there, except for a six day non-stop drinking fest that happens every summer called the "fetes de Bayonne". Last year three people died during the "fetes".

Where do you all live now?
Shiran: I'm living in France in a city called Bordeaux.
Michell : MacManus lives in Melbourne, Rob Shaffer lives in Florida, and Emilie and myself live in Montreal, Quebec. I guess the band isn't from France anymore… Maybe from South of Heaven. Listen to Slayer!

Monarch play the Heathen Earth tour this Friday at the Hi Fi Bar and Ballroom featuring two more international titans of experimental doom and drone metal:
Monarch (France / Australia) - Heathen Skulls records
Unearthly Trance (Brooklyn, USA) - Relapse records
Eagle Twin (Salt Lake City, USA) - Southern Lord records
Head to heathenskulls.com for other dates and cities.

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